Diamond powders with inclusions of europium atoms were synthesized at high pressure (7.7 GPa) and temperature (1800oC) from a mixture of pentaerythritol, C(CH2OH)4, and pyrolyzate of diphthalocyanine (C64H32N16Eu) served as a special precursor. In prepared diamonds by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, we have found the concentration of Eu atoms of 51±5 ppm that is by two orders of magnitude greater than that in known natural and synthetic diamonds. X-ray diffraction, SEM, X-ray exited optical luminescence, Raman and IR spectroscopy have confirmed the formation of diamond monocrystals of high quality with em-bedded Eu atoms and a nitrogen content of ~500 ppm. Numerical simulation has allowed us de-termine the energy cost of 5.8 eV needed for the incorporation of a single Eu atom with adjacent vacancy into growing diamond crystal (528 carbons).

The present overview of spin-dependent phenomena in nonmagnetic semiconductor microparticles (MPs) and nanoparticles (NPs) with interacting nuclear and electron spins is aimed at covering a gap between the basic properties of spin behavior in solid-state systems and a tremendous growth of the experimental results on biomedical applications of those particles. The first part of the review represents modern achievements of spin-dependent phenomena in the bulk semiconductors from the theory of optical spin orientation under indirect optical injection of carriers and spins in the bulk crystalline silicon (c-Si) – via numerous insightful findings in the realm of characterization and control through the spin polarization – to the design and verification of nuclear spin hyperpolarization in semiconductor MPs and NPs for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostics. The second part of the review is focused on the electron spin-dependent phenomena in Si-based nanostructures, including the photosensitized generation of singlet oxygen in porous Si and design of Si NPs with unpaired electron spins as prospective contrast agents in MRI. The experimental results are analyzed by considering both the quantum mechanical approach and several phenomenological models for the spin behavior in semiconductor/molecular systems. Advancements and perspectives of the biomedical applications of spin-dependent properties of Si NPs for diagnostics and therapy of cancer are discussed.

We study and describe possibilities for arities of elementary theories and of their expansions. Links for arities with respect to Boolean algebras, to disjoint unions and to compositions of structures are shown. Arities and aritizabilities are semantically characterized. The dynamics for arities of theories is described.

The paper investigates the issues of transliteration of Russian toponyms in a city environment and studies the efficiency of the Technical Reference Manual for the Standardization of Geographical Names published by the United Nations group of experts. The paper demonstrates the feasibility of the UN and Russian official transliteration standards and compares the suggested theoretical models with the practical applications found on the street signs, labels, maps, and other sources of navigation. The author presents a comprehensive account of practical transcription methods used in Moscow and offers a solution to a number of issues and discrepancies between popular transliteration models and their real-life application.

Specific emissivity features of swamps and wetlands of Western Siberia were studied for changing seasonal conditions with the use of daily data of satellite microwave sounding. The research technique involved the analysis of brightness temperatures of the underlying surface at the test sites. Variations in seasonal dynamics of brightness temperatures were mainly caused by different rates of seasonal freezing of the upper waterlogged layer of the underlying surface and dielectric characteristics of water containing natural media (water body, soil, vegetation). We analyzed long-term trends in seasonal and annual dynamics of brightness temperatures of the underlying surface and estimated hydrological changes in the Arctic and Subarctic. The findings open up new possibilities for using satellite data in the microwave range for studying natural seasonal dynamic processes and predicting hazardous hydrological phenomena.

This article introduces a new physically based Lyapunov function difinition, which can be used as acoustic energy for finite amplitude pressure oscillations in reacting systems especially in combustion chambers. Reacting flow is seen as an open, non-equilibrium (parameters are distributed unevenly locally) thermodynamic system. This Lyapunov function is defined as the maximum mechanical work, which could be extracted by a heat engine from studied system, if this system would be disconnected from inlet and outlet and from any other surrounding environment, and the engine could transfer to the surrounding environment only mechanical work.

Using the fluorescent method in the modification of Krasnoyarsk State University, we study development (as chlorophyll content, ∑CHL) and photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton in seven large flat reservoir of the Volga River cascade (Russia) in August 2915–2017. In period of maximal warming of water, average ∑CHL varied in limits of 19.4–33.7 μg L–1 in the Upper Volga, 8.5–27.8 μg L–1 in the Middle Volga, and 5.2–11.3 μg L–1 in the Lower Volga. Photosynthetic activity coefficient (PhAC) varied mostly in limits of 0.12–0.59 with average of 0.22–0.38 and only in 2017 decreased to minimal <0.10 and average <0.20. The average PhAC values shows the normal physiological state of the phytoplankton of the Upper Volga during all periods of observation, occasional decrease of PhAC in the Middle Volga, and low photosynthetic activity in the Lower Volga. A decrease in the average ∑Chl and PhAC in 2017 was under cyclonic windy weather with a large amount of precipitation, low solar radiation, and large volume of flow. Trend towards a decrease in ∑CHL, like decrease in PhAC from the Upper Volga to the Lower Volga is explained by increasing in the flow rate and volume of runoff downstream the Volga River.

Using an original method for measuring weak radiothermal electromagnetic signals, experimental data were obtained on the analysis of dispersions of noise attractors of the radiobrightness temperature of aqueous solutions of NaCl, Al (NO₃)₃ at dilutions C1 (1:100) – C12 (12:100). The values of dispersions of noise attractors significantly differ from those for the control experiment with water. On the basis of the changed values of the noise attractors of the radiobrightness temperature, the values of the absorption coefficients of the solutions are calculated. The difference between the values of the solutions absorption coefficients and those for water is shown with a successive increase in their values with an increase in the degree of dilution. The difference between the values of the absorption coefficients of solutions of high dilutions and those for water is interpreted as a mechanism of cooperative interaction of ions with water molecules located outside the first hydration shell. A network of water molecules perturbed by ions contributes to the dielectric permittivity was obtained due to new properties at supramolecular interactions on the basis of dispersion interaction.

. In this article, a search for a calculation method and an analysis of performance indicators of mutual investment funds is carried out. Many factors can influence the return on investments in portfolio investments, which makes the choice of the fund incredibly difficult. However, in addition to the fact that it is difficult to determine which indicators should be given more attention and which should be omitted, it is not so easy to get these data. Some of them are publicly available on the Internet, while others can only be found in trading systems that are not accessible to people outside of this area. The article proves that a well-trained neural network can easily find existing patterns between risk and expected return on investment. It is a well-trained neural network that provides the ability to use the "what-if" function to justify your choice on real factors, as well as the ability to download available data and calculate the estimated income and its changes. This makes it much easier to choose a Fund, especially for inexperienced investors. The article also presents the results of a study of the dependence of estimated income on correlation, standard deviation, and volatility using a trained neural network. According to the theory, higher values of these three factors correspond to a higher amount of income. The obtained graphs of the calculated income dependence on correlation, standard deviation, and volatility confirmed the correctness of the neural network training and compliance with the relations described in the theory. The paper presents graphs of the dependence of the estimated income on the beta and alpha coefficients. The higher the beta and alpha indicators, the higher the expected return on investment. This corresponds to the dependency accepted in the model. When the values of the beta and alpha coefficients increase, the income also increases, which is completely consistent with the theory.

For analysis tasks, time counts are of interest — values recorded at some, usually equidistant, points in time. The calculation can be performed at various intervals: after a minute, an hour, a day, a week, a month, or a year, depending on how much detail the process should be analyzed. In time series analysis problems, we deal with discrete-time, when each observation of a parameter forms a time frame. The same can be said about the behavior of Covid-19 over time.In this paper, we solve the problem of predicting Covid-19 diseases in the world using neural networks. This approach is useful when it is necessary to overcome difficulties related to non-stationarity, incompleteness, unknown distribution of data, or when statistical methods are not completely satisfactory. The problem of forecasting is solved with the help of the analytical platform Deductor Studio, developed by specialists of the company Intersoft Lab of the Russian Federation. When solving this problem, appropriate methods were used to clean the data from noise and anomalies, which ensured the quality of building a predictive model and obtaining forecast values for tens of days ahead. The principle of time series forecasting was also demonstrated: import, seasonal detection, cleaning, smoothing, building a predictive model, and predicting Covid-19 diseases in the world using neural technologies for 30 days ahead.

Financial capacity instruments are psychometric tools designed to evaluate individual decisional capacity based on financial decisions. As tests are complex and need special conditions for administration and evaluation, it is difficult to use them in daily geriatric clinics. Our scoping review objective was to evaluate existing financial capacity instruments from the perspective of simplicity and portability. We evaluated one English speaking knowledge database (Medline) using a dedicated MeSH terminology. The review yielded one independent instrument, The Semi-Structured Clinical Interview for Financial Capacity, that can be easy adapted for every-day clinical use. It is simple to understand and perform and do not need trained personnel for administration. It can be finalized in 15 minutes. Initially validated on 261 subjects (with different forms of cognitive impairment), it showed good accuracy and precision mainly in subjects with cognitive impairment. The test is less apt to detect early or fluctuating cognitive impairment. Simplicity, the main advantage of the test, allows gamification fact that increases portability. Familiar images (coins, money) that are used for performing simple tasks does not need complex translation and adaptation. In form of a game, the test is suitable for serial administration, increasing the chance for early capacity reduction detection. Results reflect a physician judgement related to the subjects’ capacity to understand and execute simple financial instructions and not financial proficiency scores. The main limitation of our review is that we investigated only one, English speaking, knowledge database. The scoping strategy generated a financial capacity instrument that can be used in geriatric clinics for early diagnostic of decisional capacity reduction. Further studies are needed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the test in conditions of serial administration and in populations having various financial experience.

In this article, a search for a calculation method and an analysis of performance indicators of mutual investment funds is carried out. Many factors can influence the return on investments in portfolio investments, which makes the choice of the fund incredibly difficult. However, in addition to the fact that it is difficult to determine which indicators should be given more attention and which should be omitted, it is not so easy to get these data. Some of them are publicly available on the Internet, while others can only be found in trading systems that are not accessible to people outside of this area. The article proves that a well-trained neural network can easily find existing patterns between risk and expected return on investment. It is a well-trained neural network that provides the ability to use the "what-if" function to justify your choice on real factors, as well as the ability to download available data and calculate the estimated income and its changes. This makes it much easier to choose a Fund, especially for inexperienced investors. The article also presents the results of a study of the dependence of estimated income on correlation, standard deviation, and volatility using a trained neural network. According to the theory, higher values of these three factors correspond to a higher amount of income. The obtained graphs of the calculated income dependence on correlation, standard deviation, and volatility confirmed the correctness of the neural network training and compliance with the relations described in the theory. The paper presents graphs of the dependence of the estimated income on the beta and alpha coefficients. The higher the beta and alpha indicators, the higher the expected return on investment. This corresponds to the dependency accepted in the model. When the values of the beta and alpha coefficients increase, the income also increases, which is completely consistent with the theory.

Geriatric decisional capacity assessment is a complex medico-legal activity that evaluates normal subjects involved in specific civil matter like wealth transfer, access to treatment or voluntary hospitalization. Our objective was to evaluate how geriatric extrajudicial capacity exams impacted a general psychiatric unit over a decade. We also assessed the value of a surrogate biomarker (neutrophils to lymphocyte ratio) as a screening factor in the capacity assessment process. 72 cases were assessed in one psychiatric unit over a decade (2009-2018). As population was fast ageing, the total number of capacity exams per year doubled in time. None of the subjects had an active diagnostic of severe cognitive impairment or active psychiatric disease. The percentage of subjects receiving an “absence of capacity” conclusion remained constant over time (approx. 20% of all cases). 81% of the subjects within this subgroup had a clinical diagnostic of mild cognitive impairment compared to 46% in the “presence of capacity” subgroup (p&lt;0.001). The surrogate biomarker neutrophils to lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher in the “absence of capacity” subgroup, mainly related to a cognitive impairment diagnostic. The ratio has to be validated by larger studies before to be included in the capacity assessment process as an early screening tool.

The diet and feeding behavior of South Polar Skuas (Stercorarius maccormicki) are well studied within the species' breeding range, but are poorly understood on the Haswell Islands. Goal: to establish how South Polar Skuas used the abundance of living resources of the Haswell Archipelago (66°31' S, 93°01' E, Davis Sea, Southern Ocean) under conditions of prolonged human activity. Methods: direct observations, study of pellets, spontaneous regurgitation and stomach contents of feathered birds. South Polar Skuas fed primarily on terrestrial resources. The dominant prey of skuas were vertebrates. Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) and Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) make up the bulk of the skuas’ diet in the pre-breeding and breeding periods. Surface feeding at sea was observed in the post-breeding period, when the availability of land-based food resources was reduced. Throughout history, kitchen waste supported the skuas population. Scavenging is the dominant strategy for obtaining food. Predation (primarily on Adélie Penguin eggs and chicks) is of minor importance. South Polar Skuas do not affect the breeding success of Emperor Penguins if they feed on frozen chicks and eggs in their colony. Skua predation influences breeding success of Adélie Penguins and fulmarine petrels, but the extent of the impact is unknown.

Detecting suicidal ideation in adults with major depression is crucial for timely intervention and prevention of self-harm. As suicide is influenced by various biological, socio-cultural and psychological factors, traditional screening methods have accuracy and efficiency limitations. In certain cultures, societal stigma and marginalization can compel individuals with depression to conceal their suffering. Such individuals often turn to online social media platforms and share their experiences with peers under the protection of anonymity. Our research explored the potential of machine learning detection of suicidal ideation among Romanian adults with major depression that contributed to a web-based depression support forum. A trained algorithm (C4.5 decision tree) analyzed 125 posts fed to on a free access online support forum over 5 years (2014 – 2018) and classified them based on suicidal ideation content. 32 texts (25%) were identified as having a high probability of suicidal ideation content. 65% of the authors were male, with a mean age of 36.7±10.3 years and an average duration of illness of 3.4±1.4 years. Texts indicating positive suicidal ideation were generally shorter and elicited more general responses but fewer professional responses compared to those without suicidal ideation content. The study's main limitations include the relatively small number of classified texts, the absence of prospective information and the lack of qualitative evaluation of the excerpts' content. As socio-demographic and linguistic actuarial results were comparable to data reported by real life studies, we may consider basic text mining techniques as a screening tool that is able to detect suicidal ideation in texts written in unstructured Romanian language.

Linear polyamides, known as nylons, are a class of synthetic polymers with a wide range of applications due to their outstanding properties, such as chemical and thermal resistance or mechanical strength. These polymers have been used in various fields: from common and domestic applications, such as socks and fishing nets, to industrial gears or water purification membranes. By their durability, flexibility and wear resistance nylons have been started to be used in addictive manufacturing technology as a good material choice to get sophisticated devices with precise and complex geometric shapes. Furthermore, the emergence of triboelectric nanogenerators and the development of biomaterials have highlighted the versatility and utility of these materials. In order to enhance the triboelectric performance and the range of applications, nylons show a potential use as tribo-positive materials. Because of the easy control of their shape they can be subsequently integrated into nanogenerators. The use of nylons has also extended into the field of biomaterials, where their biocompatibility, mechanical strength and versatility have paved the way for groundbreaking advances in medical devices as dental implants, catheters and non-absorbable surgical sutures. By means 3D bioprinting nylons have been used to develop scaffolds, joint implants and drug carriers with tailored properties for various biomedical applications. The present paper aims to collect these recently specific applications of nylons by reviewing the literature produced in the last decades, with a special focus on the newer technologies in the field of energy harvesting and biomedicine.

A chronic activated pro-inflammatory cytokine network (“inflamm-aging”) may amplify the neurodegenerative effects of a fall induced brain trauma in geriatric subjects. Our research aimed to evaluate how a trained machine learning algorithm may predict recent antecedent falls based only on specific serologic cytokines network analysis and how the consequences of these falls can be substantiated on standard head MRIs. All 279 subjects included in our study were selected from the ADNI1 dataset and all had a mild cognitive impairment diagnostic at the ADNI1 study baseline. A “train group” was built and included 14 subjects with a history of a recent, simple, standing-level fall. These were carefully matched with 14 similar subjects without any antecedent trauma. The “test group” included 251 subjects, all without any history of recent fall. The machine learning algorithm (classic C4.5 decision tree) was trained to detect a pattern of variation in 23 clinically relevant cytokines in relation with an antecedent fall. Changes in five cytokines (matrix metalloproteinase-7, eotaxin-1, interleukin-3, interleukin-8 and matrix metalloproteinase-9) were used for fall prediction in the “test” group. Once trained, the algorithm predicted a recent fall in 119 cases from the test group. The mean brain ventricular volume that was significantly different between fall/non-fall subgroups (41645.5±10337.2 vs 27127.3±6749.4 mm3, p=0.005) remained significant in the test group, after prediction between (41544.24±17343.4 vs 34553.5±10543.2 mm3, p=0.042). The hippocampus mean volume was also significantly different between in the test group (6297.3±1080.1 vs 6745.9±1123.7, p=0.0015). A significant brain ventricular difference was observed in the “65<y.o.” subgroup (p=0.04). If confirmed by larger prospective studies, our findings may increase the precision of the neuro-cognitive assessments in geriatric subjects.

Post-concussion syndrome, recently recognized as a complication of mild traumatic brain injury, is considered a consequence of the summative effect of multiple concussions received over lifetime. In elderlies, the main mild brain trauma mechanism is fall (low impact force). Many falls are often not reported or noticed but may generate serious medical and medico-legal consequences. Our research question was to find if a single, very mild brain trauma can induce neuro-behavioral consequences in elderlies. One database was queried (PubMed – MeSH terminology) looking for histopathological, neuro-cognitive and behavioral changes that can be generated by sub-concussional trauma in senescent rodents, in comparison with young animals. 41 published research articles were selected. 17 of them used very mild brain trauma in young and senescent animals, in the same experiment (6 rats and 11 mice). 24 articles evaluated the effect of sub-threshold brain trauma in adult animals (no control group). Five trauma models were used (blast models were excluded). Neuro-inflammatory changes were detected immediate after very mild primary impact. In young animals, observed pathology disappeared fast (after 3 to 7 days). Increased apoptosis, mild axonal injury in white matter tracts plus maladaptive astrogliosis and microglial activation was stronger in aged animals, persisted over time (8 months) and significantly altered animals’ cognition and behavior. Associated preexisting pathology (hypertension, tau protein deposits, microbleeds, reactive inflammation) was often responsible for amplification of the primary impact results. As translation of observation is the weak spot of pathology and behavior animal research, further investigation is needed before to conclude that even a single, very mild brain trauma may have medical consequences on human senescent brain.

The quality of an educational system is reflected not only in the instructive performances of the educational actors, but also in the degree in which it ensures an adequate professional integration. The undergraduate of today, the graduate of tomorrow needs an as accurate as possible information regarding the labour market, which cannot be achieved only by individual means, but also by resorting to carrier counselling services. The motivation of this research is closely connected to the improvement of the level of communication between the two aspects – on the one hand the academic one, by its finite products, and the economic one, on the other hand – and the opportunities that the cooperation between the two aspects might offer: adjusting the demand-supply ratio on the labor market and above all, stopping massive emigration of young graduates of higher education.

The current context has proved unequivocally that public health is one of the pillars of society, playing a determining role and being a balancing factor. This study aimed to provide additional evidence supporting the use of geographic information systems in and from public health. For the study, the authors use public data from the Transparency COVID-19 data set at the Romanian level, which they process with the QGIS application, to effectively determine the influence of the location of the vaccination centers, respectively the impact on the incidence of COVID 19. The research carried out, which generated 153 maps, allows the statement, that reports based on the geographical location of data collected from the public health system are easier to analyze and to evaluate the effectiveness of the decisions taken. By analyzing the evolution of some public health indicators, that are difficult to correlate through analytical relationships, this study offers, as the main finding, an additional argument for the use of geographic information systems in public health management. As the limitations of research in the simulation component are relevant, further research is needed to provide the necessary evidence to convince about the effectiveness of using geographic information systems to optimize outcomes in the public health system. For this reason, it is necessary that the data structures in the public system, to be built and collected in a comprehensive way, with an optimal level of granularity.

Lead-based ternary chalcogenide thin films of the (PbTe)1-x(PbS)x system were obtained by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique (PECVD) under conditions of a nonequilibrium low-temperature argon plasma of an RF discharge (40.68 MHz) at a reduced pressure (0.01 Torr). High-purity elements were directly used as starting materials – Pb, S and Te. Plasma-chemical synthesis was carried out on the surface of of c-sapphire and silicon substrate. The physicochemical properties of the films were studied by various analytical methods. The dependence of the Seebeck coefficient, resistivity, and power factor on the structural properties and composition has been studied. The thermoelectric characteristics were found to be dependent on the film composition. Upon the selection of optimal sulfur concentration one can increase the power factor as compared to single phase PbS ot PbTe films.

The Kuznetsk Basin (Kuzbass) is one of the largest coal basins in Siberia and a reference area for the ancient Angaraland continent. The proximity of the Kuzbass and Siberian platform caused their biotic similarities in the Late Palaeozoic. However, due to biota endemism, the Kuzbass Upper Palaeozoic does not correlate directly with the International Chronostratigraphic Chart (ICC). This paper discusses radioisotopic (CA-ID-TIMS) dating of zircons from a volcanic tuff located in the Starokuznetsk Formation. This level matches the interval of the Balakhonka/Kolchugino (B/K) floral change in Kuzbass, i.e. the gradual replacement of cordaitoid-dominated wet forests (Balakhonka flora) by more arid fern-pteridosperm-cordaitoid assemblages (Kolchugino flora). New age (276.9 ± 0.4 Ma) directly correlates the Starokuznetsk Fm with the Upper Kungurian of the ICS. We compared the Kuzbass data with data of the Western Verkhoyanie, where Middle Permian ammonoids (Sverdrupites assemblage) occur in strata recording the B/K floral change. Available (ICC) and new datings indicate the lag between the B/K floral change in low (Kuzbass) and high (Verkhoyanie) latitudes of Angaraland. The B/K floral change in the Kuzbass began in the early Late Kungurian and was completed by the end of this age. In contrast, the B/K floral change in Verkhoyanie began at the end of the Late Kungurian and was completed in the Late Wordian. The delay in the floral changes at different latitudes of Angaraland suggests that existing interregional correlations need further improvement.

Aim. To study the processes of lipid peroxidation and the activity of antioxidant defense enzymes depending on the chemiluminescent activity of neutrophilic granulocytes in patients with gastric cancer associated with H. pylori infection, depending on the stage. Materials and methods. 39 patients with stage I-II gastric cancer and 30 patients with stage III-IV gastric cancer were examined. The study of the chemiluminescent activity of neutrophilic granulocytes was carried out, the parameters of the lipid peroxidation system and antioxidant protection in plasma were determined using the spectrophotometric method. Statistical data processing was performed using the Statistica 7.0 software package (StatSoft, USA). Results. In patients with gastric cancer associated with H. pylori infection, regardless of stage, the proportion of neutrophilic granulocytes with normal activity does not exceed 1/3 of the total number of patients, the remaining 2/3 of patients have an altered chemiluminescent activity of neutrophilic granulocytes: in patients with gastric cancer by I -II stage of the disease, the majority revealed a reduced function of neutrophilic granulocytes, and in patients with gastric cancer stage III-IV of the disease, the majority showed increased chemiluminescent activity of neutrophilic granulocytes. In all patients with gastric cancer associated with H. pylori infection, regardless of the stage of the disease, an increase in lipid peroxidation processes with activation of antioxidant defense enzymes was detected. Conclusion. In all patients with gastric cancer associated with H. pylori infection, regardless of the stage of the disease, an increase in lipid peroxidation processes with activation of antioxidant defense enzymes was detected. At the same time, there are no statistically significant differences between the indicators of the system lipid peroxidation - antioxidant protection depending on the stage of gastric cancer and the chemiluminescent activity of neutrophilic granulocytes, which probably indicates that all reactive oxygen species produced by neutrophilic granulocytes in the respiratory burst are consumed locally, minimally affecting the development of oxidative stress in the blood plasma.

New composite with core-shell structure based on magnesium hydride and finely dispersed aluminum powder with aluminum oxide shell was mechanically synthesized. We used magnesium chips to produce magnesium hydride and aluminum wire after exploitation to produce nano-sized aluminum powder. The beginning of the hydrogen release from composite occurred at the temperature of 117°C. The maximum desorption temperature from the MgH₂-EEWAl composite (10 wt.%) is 336°C compared to pure magnesium hydride – 417°C. The mass content of hydrogen in the composite is 5.5 wt.%. The positive effect of aluminum powder produced by the electric explosion of wires method on reducing the activation energy of desorption was demonstrated. Calculations showed that the activation energy of desorption for the composite is 106±1 kJ/mol, compared with pure magnesium hydride, whose activation energy was 155±2 kJ/mol. The results obtained make it possible to expand the possibility of using magnesium and aluminum waste for hydrogen energy.

A new approach to the treatment of wound lesions, which are complicated by the presence of polyresistant microflora and a possible immunodeficiency background has been proposed. It involves treating the wound surface with high-intensity pulsed optical radiation of a continuous spectrum, continuously covering the entire UV range (from 200 to 400 nm), visible and near infrared region of the spectrum. A pulsed xenon lamp is used as a radiation source. A description of the design and technical characteristics of the developed device for high-intensity optical irradiation "Zarnitsa-A", which implements the proposed medical technology for wound therapy, is represented. The results of preclinical studies of the apparatus in vitro and in vivo are represented hereinafter. The article shows that the apparatus exposure has pronounced bactericidal and wound-healing properties. The apparatus action reliably provides higher rates of wound healing compared to the use of only a typical antibacterial and wound healing agent – “Levomekol” ointment.

The circadian and stress-realizing systems are interconnected, and the balance of their interaction determines the state of human health. The objective of this study was to investigate the modulating effect of activating the circadian system on heart rate variability in female medical students with high anxiety while performing a cognitive task. After 20 minutes of adequate stimulation of circadian photoreceptors with a monochromatic blue light, the cognitive task performance resulted in a decrease in sympathetic impact. During the session of using Blue Sky Pro glasses, a trend of increasing heart rate variability was observed in a state of relative rest (especially in the first 5 minutes). A comparative analysis of the parameters of the letter cancellation test before and after light exposure revealed a statistically significant increase in the indexes reflecting mental productivity, work accuracy, and concentration of attention. The results suggest an essential physiological role of the human circadian system in modulating the autonomic and psycho-emotional conditions, as well as cognitive functions of individuals with high anxiety. Our findings indicate the possibility of quickly correcting the balance in human systemic regulatory mechanisms using the activation of retinal circadian photoreceptors by blue light.

In order to ensure sustainable tourism development, it is currently becoming crucial to look into promotion of popular tourist destinations in Russia. This is due to a number of factors, including the acceptance of the credibility and importance of the concept of sustainable tourism, as well as the awareness of the necessity of taking into account a wide range of short- and long-term effects, external factors, and interdisciplinary aspects of the development of the Russian tourism industry. In the context of a local tourist destination during the economic crisis, the study aims to highlight some of the key economic elements of sustainable tourism. The decision to adopt a regional perspective is necessitated by the fact that many of the most crucial elements for the long-term sustainable development of the tourist complex are established at this level, including decision-making by businesses and authorities that are economically viable. The research focuses on the economic aspects to be considered while designing an overall strategy for the long-term development of regional tourist destinations in Russia. The authors define sustainable tourism from the viewpoint of economics. This understanding extends beyond the relatively limited framework of environmental and socioeconomic consequences of tourism development, affecting some less obvious economic aspects of a regional destination that directly relate to sustainable development.

After surgery, oral cavity healing occurs in a hostile environment and requires proper oral care and hygiene to accelerate recovery. The aim of the current study is to investigate and compare the bioreactivity characteristics of chlorhexidine based (CHX) mouth rinse and a novel bone bioactive liquid (BBL) mouth rinse on oral healing within seven days application post-surgery. A randomized, double blind clinical trial conducted in 81 patients. The mouth rinses were applied twice a day for a period of 7 days. The visual analog scale (VAS) protocol was applied to measure pain index. Early wound healing score (EHI) was determined in evaluate the oral cavity healing progress. No adverse effects were observed using the mouth washes, but CHX resulted in teeth staining. CHX and BBL were sufficient to reduce pain over a period of 7 days. However, the BBL group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in VAS stating day 4. Relative to CHX group, the EHI scores were significantly higher in the BBL group, independent from the tooth location. No gender differences were observed in both VAS and EHI scores. Relative to the commercially available CHX, BBL mouth rinse reduced pain and accelerated oral cavity healing. Suggesting an improvements of oral cavity microenvironment at the wound site that mediates soft tissue regeneration.

A major route for influx of calcium ions into neurons uses the STIM-Orai1 voltage-independent channel. Once cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) elevates, it activates mitochondrial and endoplasmic calcium stores, to affect downstream molecular pathways. In the present study we employed a novel drug, Carbonyl Cyanide Chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), a mitochondrial uncoupler, to explore the role of mitochondria in cultured neuronal morphology. CCCP caused a sustained elevation of [Ca2+]i and, quite surprisingly, a massive increase in density of dendritic filopodia and spines in the affected neurons. This morphological change can be prevented in cultures ex-posed to calcium-free medium, to Orai1 antagonist 2APB, or to cells transfected with domi-nant-negative Orai1 plasmid. It is suggested that CCCP activates mitochondria through influx of calcium, to cause a rapid growth of dendritic processes

A mathematical model given by a two - dimensional differential system is introduced in order to understand the transition process from the normal hematopoiesis to the chronic and accelerated acute stages in chronic myeloid leukemia. A previous model of Dingli and Michor is refined by introducing a new parameter in order to differentiate the bone marrow microenvironment sensitivities of normal and mutant stem cells. In the light of the new parameter, the system now has three distinct equilibria corresponding to the normal hematopoietic state, to the chronic state, and to the accelerated acute phase of the disease. A characterization of the three hematopoietic states is obtained based on the stability analysis. Numerical simulations are included to illustrate the theoretical results.

Spraying various liquids (primarily aqueous solutions of various substances) is widely used in various technological processes. For most of them, high dispersibility and narrow droplet size distribution are essential. This facilitates ultrasonic spray technique. However, the higher the dispersity of droplets produced by ultrasonic spray, the lower the spray productivity. To solve this problem, we proposed a method of multistage spraying, consisting in generation of a large number of particles of large initial size (to ensure high productivity) and their subsequent destruction by propagation in a periodic ultrasonic field (to ensure small droplet sizes at high productivity). To experimentally determine the capabilities of this technique, a tubular emitter in the shape of a cylinder of stepped-variable cross-section was designed. Configuration of the ultrasonic field inside the emitter (22.2 kHz; 182 dB) implements three-stage spraying (the number of sputtering stages corresponds to the number of anti-nodes along the emitter axis). The effectiveness of proposed and developed technique suitable for generation of droplets sized less than 40 µm with performance exceeding the known ultrasonic spray techniques at least 10 times has been confirmed in the course of conducted research.

We examined PT parameters, geochemical peculiarities, and fluid sources of the Ulug-Sair ore occurrence attributable to class of intrusion-related gold deposits and according to ore mineral assemblages corresponding to Au-Bi type with wide Bi minerals (AgBiTe, Bi2Te2Se, Cu3,07BiS3, Bi), tellurides (Au and Ag), Se-tellurides (Ag and Bi), and selenides (Au, Ag, and Hg). We identified that ‘pre-gold’ quartz-tourmaline veins were deposited using an aqueous Mg-Na-K-chloride fluid with a salinity of 8–10 wt % NaCl eq. At 325–370 °C; host breasts were formed due to a CO2-water fluid containing CH4 and N2, with a salinity of 0,18–6,1 wt % NaCl eq. at least 200–400 °C. Gold-bearing mineral assemblages were formed at P ~ 0,75–1,0 kbar (~ 2,3–3 km) due to CO2-water chloride (Na-K±Fe, Mg) fluid with CH4, Na2SO4, and Na2B2O5, and salinities 1,7–12,5 wt % NaCl eq. during the decreasing temperatures from 360 up to 115 °C (gold-sulfide-quartz veins – 360–130 °С, and gold-telluride-sulfide-quartz veins – 330–115 °C) and variations fO2, fS2, fSe2, and fTe2. The isotopic composition of δ34SH2S fluid (-0,7…+2,5 ‰) indicates the juvenile or magmatic origin of fluid and ore elements. The δ34OH2O fluid indicates that, at an early substage, the formation of ore occurrence involved a fluid of magmatic or metamorphic origin (+7,3…+11,4 ‰), and, in the later substage, it mixed with meteoric waters (-2,3…+9,1 ‰).

A hydrothermal technique with microwave heating (200 °C, 2 hours, 2 magnetrons, 2.45 GHz) was modified to obtain UV-C luminescent LaPO4: Pr3+ colloidal nanorods for the potential use in X-ray cancer theranostics. For further possible biofunctionalization, a compound of tartaric acid formed under basic conditions was used as a coating and stabilizing agent to provide colloidal properties to the surface of nanoparticles in basic to neutral aqueous media, which was confirmed by zeta potential measurements. In addition, the colloidal properties and clustering processes of synthesized LaPO4:Pr3+ nanorods in aqueous solutions with different pH values were studied in real time using a highly sensitive laser ultramicroscope operating according to the “light-sheet” scheme. A comparative analysis of the transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and high-energy spectroscopy showed the different effects of synthesis parameters on the morphological, crystalline and luminescent properties of the obtained nanorods. Through optimization of the synthesis parameters, stable aqueous solutions of m-LaPO4:Pr3+ nanorods with sizes less than 30 nm and an intensity of UV-C luminescence equal to 5-10% of the unmodified nanofibers were obtained.

Background There is a considerable overlap between clinical presentation of post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) . Many of their common symptoms can be linked to dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (dysautonomia). This study aimed to objectively assess autonomic function in patients with PCC and in patients with ME/CFS whose disease was not related to COVID-19. Methods Synchronous recordings of an electrocardiogram, continuous dynamics of blood pressure in the digital artery using the Penaz method and ultrasound pneumotachography with the spirography function were obtained with spiroarteriocardiorhythmography method in 34 patients diagnosed with ME/CFS, in whom the onset of the disease was not associated with COVID-19, 29 patients meeting PCC definition and 32 healthy controls. Heart rate variability (HRV), systolic and diastolic blood pressure variability (RV), respiration variability were assessed at rest and in tests with fixed respiratory rates. At rest, indicators of baroreflex regulation were additionally determined (baroreflex effectiveness index and baroreflex sensitivity). Results The total power, power of very low frequency, low-frequency and high-frequency of RR interval variability at rest as well as baroreflex effectiveness index in up-ramps of arterial blood pressure and baroreflex sensitivity were significantly lower both in PCC and ME/CFS patients compared to HC. Several diagnostic prediction models for ME/CFS were developed based on HRV parameters. During slow breathing HRV parameters return to normal in PCC, but not in ME/CFS. Correlation analysis revealed a close relationship of HRV, RV parameters and baroreflex sensitivity with fatigue, but not with HADS depressive/anxiety symptoms in ME/CFS and PCC. Conclusion A similar pattern of HRV and baroreflex failure with signs of a pathological acceleration of age-dependant dysautonomia was identified in ME/CFS and PCC. The clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic implications of these findings are discussed, in light of previously described relationship between inflammation, vascular pathology, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and autonomic dysfunction.

An analysis of workplace accidents in the mining sector has been done using the database from the Spanish administration between the period 2005-2015 and applying data mining techniques. Data has been processed by means of the software Weka. Two scenarios were chosen regarding the accidents database, surface and underground mining. The most important variables involved in occupation accidents and their association rules have been determined. These rules are formed by several predictor variables that cause an accident, defining its characteristics and context. This study exposes the 20 most important association rules of the sector, either surface or underground mining, based on statistical confidence levels of each rule obtained by Weka. The outcomes display the most typical immediate causes with the percentage of accident basis of each association rule. The most typical immediate cause is body movement with physical effort or overexertion and type of accident is physical effort or overexertion. On the other hand, the second most important immediate cause and type of accident change in both scenarios. Data mining techniques have been proved as a very powerful tool to find out the root of the accidents, apply corrective measures and verify their effectiveness, either for public or private companies.

Automatic ice charting can not be achieved using only SAR modalities. It is fundamental to combine information from other remote sensors with different characteristics for more reliable sea ice characterization. In this paper, we employ principal feature analysis (PFA) to select significant information from multimodal remote sensing data. PFA is a simple yet very effective approach that can be applied to several types of data without loss of physical interpretability. Considering that different homogeneous regions require different types of information, we perform the selection patch-wise. Accordingly, by exploiting the spatial information, we increase the robustness and accuracy of PFA.

A novel group of conjugative plasmids of Pseudomonas is characterized. The prototype plasmid pPPUT-Tik1-1 (153663 bp), isolated from a permafrost strain of P. putida Tik1, carries a defective mercury transposon Tn501 and a streptomycin resistance transposon Tn5393. Ten plasmids and 34 contigs with backbone regions closely related to pPPUT-Tik1-1 have been found in Gene Bank. Two of these plasmids isolated from clinical strains of P. putida and P. fulva are almost identical to the ancient plasmid. A characteristic feature of this group of plasmids is the presence of two genes encoding the initiators of replication (repA1 and repA2). None of these genes has high similarity with plasmid replication genes belonging to known incompatibility groups. It has been demonstrated that while pPPUT-Tik1-1-like plasmids have homologous backbone regions they significantly differ by the molecular structure and the functional burden of their accessory regions. Some of the pPPUT-Tik1-1-related plasmids carry determinants of antibiotic resistance and/or heavy metal salts. Some plasmids are characterized by the ability to degrade xenobiotics. Plasmids related to pPPUT-Tik1-1 are characterized by a narrow host range and are found in various species of Pseudomonas genus. A group of shortened plasmids containing the same replication module, but without conjugation genes, were also found. These plasmids also contain other structural changes that strongly distinguish them from plasmids related to pPPUT-Tik1-1. The data obtained indicate the need for a complex approach to the classification of plasmids.

A position sensing glove, called SmartScan, that creates a 3D virtual model of a real object is presented. The data from the glove is processed by a volume minimization algorithm to validate the position sensor data. This allows only data from the object’s surface to be retained. The data validation algorithm allows the user to progressively improve an image by repeatedly moving their hand over the object. In addition, the user can choose their own balance between feature resolution and invalid data rejection. The SmartScan glove is tested on a foot model and is shown to be robust against motion artifacts, and has a mean accuracy of 2.9 mm (compared to a 3D model generated from optical imaging) without calibration.

Using a database of 378 hail days between 20981 and 2020, the climatic characteristics of 23 convective parameters from sounding data and ERA5 data were statistically analyzed. The goal of this work is to evaluate the usefulness and representativeness of convective parameters derived from sounding data and reanalysis data for the operational forecast of the hail phenomenon. As a result, average values from 12:00 UTC were 433J / Kg for CAPE in the case of data from ERA5 and 505 J/kg from rawinsonde respectively. The Spearman correlation coefficients matrix between the values of the parameters indicates high correlations between the parameters calculated based on the parcel theory, the humidity indices, and the complex indices. The probability for large hail maximizes with high low level and boundary layer moisture, high CAPE, and a high lifted condensation level height.

The aim of this study was a large-scale ecological analysis of nutritional and other environmental factors potentially associated with the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the global context. Indicators of CVDs from 158 countries were compared with the statistics of mean intake (supply) of 60 food items between 1993 and 2011, obesity rates, health expenditure and life expectancy. This comparison shows that the relationship between CVD indicators (raised blood pressure, CVD mortality, raised blood glucose) and independent variables in the global context is influenced by various factors such as short life expectancy, religiously conditioned dietary customs, the imprecision of some statistics and undernutrition. However, regardless of the statistical method used, the results always show very similar trends and identify high carbohydrate consumption (mainly in the form of cereals and wheat in particular) as a dietary factor most consistently associated with the risk of CVDs. These findings are in line with the changing view of the causes of CVDs. Because only the statistics of raised blood glucose include people using medications and reflect true prevalence that is independent of healthcare, more objective data on the prevalence of CVDs are needed to confirm these observed trends.

Abstract. The increasing frequency of isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) limits the chances of effective antibacterial therapy of staphylococcal diseases and results in development of persistent infection such as bacteremia and osteomyelitis. The aim of this study was to identify features of the MRSAST239 0943-1505-2016 (SA943) genome, that contribute to the formation of both acute and chronic musculoskeletal infections. The analysis was performed using comparative genomics data of the dominant epidemic S. aureus lineages namely ST1, ST8, ST30, ST36, ST239. SA943 genome encodes proteins that provide resistance to the host immune system, suppress immunological memory and form biofilms. The molecular mechanisms of adaptation responsible for development of persistent infection were as follows: amino acid substitution in PBP2 and PBP2a, providing resistance to ceftaroline; loss of a large part of prophage DNA and restoration of nucleotide sequence of beta-hemolysin, that greatly facilitates escape of phagocytosed bacteria from phagosome and formation of biofilms; dysfunction of the AgrA system due to the presence of psm-mec and several amino acid substitutions in the AgrC; partial deletion of nucleotide sequence in genomic island vSAβ resulting in the loss of two proteases of Spl - operon; deletion of SD repeats in SdrE amino acid sequence.

Background: This study analyzes sex-based differences in renal structure and response to the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril in a mouse model of atherosclerosis. Methods: ApoE-/- mice (8 weeks old) received enalapril (5 mg/kg/day, subcutaneous) or PBS as a control for an additional 14 weeks. Each group consisted of six males and six females. Results: Females exhibited elevated LDL-cholesterol levels, while males presented higher creatinine levels and proteinuria. Enalapril effectively reduced blood pressure in both groups, but proteinuria decreased significantly only in females. Plaque size analysis and assessment of kidney inflammation revealed no significant sex-based differences. However, males displayed more severe glomerular injury, with increased mesangial expansion, mesangiolysis, glomerular foam cells and activated parietal epithelial cells (PECs). Enalapril mitigated mesangial expansion, glomerular inflammation (particularly in females), and the hypertrophy of PECs in males. Conclusion: This study demonstrates sex-based differences in the response to enalapril in a mouse model of atherosclerosis. Males exhibited more severe glomerular injury, while enalapril provided renal protection, particularly in females. These findings suggest potential sex-specific considerations for ACE inhibitor therapy in chronic kidney disease and atherosclerosis cardiovascular disease. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanism behind these observations.

A mathematical model that comprehensively captures the real behavior of riverbed deformation, encompassing all pertinent effects, is developed. The underwater slope reformation process, with the generatrix aligned along the flow velocity in the model, is considered. A numerical model is introduced to calculate the flow involving a deformable bottom, and the model's validation is established through rigorous analysis of experimental findings. The research firmly confirms the suitability of the proposed mathematical and numerical model for describing deformations in uneven and unsteady river flows, including the movement of dredging slots and channel quarries. The model's minimal equation count and reliance on empirical constants demonstrate the model's efficiency. The model's predictions align strongly with experimental data, although optimal values of empirical coefficients vary slightly across different experiments. Hence, there is a call for further investigation to derive more universally applicable closure relationships for the model. The importance of validating the model with reliable field data and its potential extension to accommodate hydraulically diverse soils is emphasized. Such an extension is feasible due to the concentration transfer equation, enabling independent calculations for particle fractions of varying sizes as long as the total particle concentration in the stream remains within reasonable limits. This dedicated research contributes significantly to understanding riverbed deformations and advancing accurate modeling and management of riverine environments.

The main development direction of energy efficiency technologies in construction is the creation of various materials with a complex structure and unique strength, thermal and other properties. The aerogel is a material with high porosity and excellent thermal insulation properties. This paper provides the state-of-the-art of aerogel applications for the additive manufacturing of energy efficient buildings. This work provides the experimental and numerical assessment results of thermal conductivity of aerogel-enhanced blanket, the experimental assessment results of thermal performance of aerogel-enhanced building structure, the experimental assessment results of the aerogel application as mixture powder component of the concrete mixture to printing building and the experimental assessment results of the aerogel application as parget powder component. Experimental results show the effect of aerogel powder component application: thermal conductivity decreased by 25%.

The synchronization of laser and X-ray sources is essential for time-resolved measurements in the study of ultrafast processes, including photo-induced piezo-effect, shock wave generation, and phase transition. On the one hand, the optical diagnostics (by synchronization of two laser sources) provides information about change in vibration frequencies, shock waves dynamics, linear and nonlinear refractive index behavior. On the other hand, the optical pump – X-ray probe diagnostics give opportunity to directly reveal the lattice dynamics. To integrate two approaches into a unified whole one need to create a robust method for synchronization of two systems with different repetition rate up to MHz range. In this paper, we propose a universal approach utilizing a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to achieve precise synchronization between different MHz sources such as various lasers and synchrotron X-ray sources. This synchronization method offers numerous advantages, such as high flexibility, fast response, and low jitter. Experimental results demonstrate successful synchronization of two different MHz systems with a temporal resolution of 250 ps for these systems. This enables ultrafast measurements with sub-nanosecond resolution, facilitating the uncovering of complex dynamics in ultrafast processes.

This article presents the results of technical and technological studies of the oil painting by the artist of German origin Werner Tübke “Hiroshima I" (1958). The creative heritage of the author has been little studied and represents scattered data on the technology of painting and artistic techniques. The aim of the work was to determine the artistic materials and painting technolo-gy described in his diaries, using the example of his only painting in Russia – “Hiroshima I". For this purpose, an integrated approach was used using non–invasive control methods - photo in the light of visible luminescence, infrared reflectography (IRR), radiography, portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF), as well as infrared-Fourier spectroscopy (FT-IR) and polarizing microsco-py using microprobes. As a result, the pigment composition of the painting layers was deter-mined, the painting technology was refined, and a previously unknown hidden portrait of Werner Tübke's father was revealed.

The object of study is a transversely bent triangular plate made of orthotropic material fixed along the edges of the plate under the action of a uniformly distributed load. Fourth-order differential equilibrium equations with variable orthotropy parameters were used. The equations were approximated by finite differences for a grid of scalene triangles. This type of mesh accurately describes the boundary contour of the triangular-shaped plates. The boundary conditions for the mesh consider the orthotropy of the plate material. Seven standard finite-difference equations have been developed considering the boundary conditions along the three edges of the plate and the presence of three angles of an irregularly shaped triangle. A finite difference matrix is obtained. The matrix structure makes calculating a triangular plate at different base angles possible. The boundary conditions were varied in the form of rigid or hinged support of triangular plates. The calculation method considers the orthotropic parameters of the material in two mutually perpendicular planes. The adaptation of the numerical method to the calculation of orthotropic plates of arbitrary shape is described. Relationships are given for determining the rigidity characteristics of orthotropic materials. An algorithm for simple engineering calculation of triangular orthotropic plates is proposed, which makes it possible to perform accurate calculations in variant design.

The wastewater problem is becoming an increasingly significant environmental issue affecting various aspects of human activities. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in water through certain physicochemical processes, which can oxidize or degrade various organic and chemical compounds, offers an effective purification method. The main advantage of these methods is the elimination of chemical reagents. Aim of this work is to investigate the possibility of regulating the ROS content in water by altering the characteristics of the plasma discharge that occurs under hydrodynamic cavitation in the water flow. ROS concentration was determined using the permanganate oxidation titration technique. It was found that the content of various reactive oxygen species in water after treatment can be controlled by varying the power of the electrical pulses applied. Additionally, the study obtained the dependence of ROS concentration in treated water samples on storage time, indicating a prolonged effect of sonoplasma treatment on the antibacterial properties of water. Analysis of water samples using a biological test culture of Salmonella typhimurium revealed bacteriostatic properties of the water for at least 48 hours after sonoplasma discharge treatment.

The strong competition in the automotive industry has required manufacturers to implement lean production, both with methods and techniques specific to Industry 4.0. At the same time, universities must provide graduates with specific skills for applying these new production methods and techniques. In this context, a Lean Learning Factory was developed in the Pitesti University Center, which allows students to learn, experiment, and research, in an environment similar to that of enterprises, the new Lean Manufacturing methods and techniques, and Industry 4.0. The research presented in this study had as its objective identifying the minimum number of repetitions necessary to train operators who serve two differently organized workstations, one classic, the other including digital techniques, but on which the same assembly operation is performed. Several indicators were considered in the analysis, such as the number of errors, the number of stops, the effective duration of the work cycle, and the percentage ratio between the standard duration of cyclical activities and the effective duration of the work cycle. The evolution of these indicators was mathematically modelled by regression functions, using the least squares method. The obtained results also highlight the usefulness of applying the DOJO method as a Lean manufacturing-specific learning technique and the efficiency of implementing digital techniques in work organization.

By means of X-ray computed microtomography (XCMT) the existence of a developed microporous structure having an average pore diameter of ~3.5 μm and pore content of ~1.1 vol.% has been revealed in unirradiated polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). It has been found that the combined action of gamma radiation (absorbed dose per PTFE of ~170 kGy) and high temperatures (327-350 °C) leads to the disappearance of the microporous structure and the formation of several large pores with sizes from 30 to 50 μm in the bulk of thermal-radiation modified PTFE (TRM-PTFE). It has been established by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis that the thermal-radiation modification of PTFE leads to an increase in the interplanar spacings, the degree of crystallinity and volume of the unit cell, as well as to a decrease in the size of crystals and the X-ray density of the crystalline phase in comparison with the initial polymer. It is assumed that the previously established effect of improving the deformation-strength and tribological properties of the TRM-PTFE can be due not only to the radiation cross-linking of polymer chains but also to the disappearance of the micropore system and to the ordering of the crystalline phase of PTFE.

We study the enhancement of the elastocaloric effect in natural rubber by using forced air convection in order to favour heat extraction during the elongation stage of an stretching-unstretching cycle. Elastocaloric performance is quantified by means of the adiabatic undercooling that occurs after a fast removal of the stress, measured by infrared thermography. To ensure accurate measurements, spatial averages on thermal maps of the sample surface are performed since undercooled samples display heterogeneities caused by various factors. The influence of the stretching velocity and the air velocity is analysed. The results show that, given the fact that the stretching velocities should be high enough to improve the cooling power, there is an optimal air velocity that provides maximum adiabatic undercooling. Our experiments have also allowed us to characterise the dependence of the Newton heat transfer coefficient on the air convection velocity. We have shown that this coefficient may show an enhancement up to 600% for air velocities around 4 m/s.

Ecdysterone is a phytosteroid widely discussed for its various pharmacological, growth-promoting and anabolic effects mediated by activation of estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta). Performance-enhancement in sports was demonstrated recently, and ecdysterone was consequently included in the Monitoring Program to detect potential patterns of misuse in sport. Only few studies on the pharmacokinetics of ecdysterone in humans have been reported so far. In this study, post-administration urines in twelve volunteers (single dose of 50 mg of ecdysterone) were analyzed using dilute-and-inject liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Identification and quantitation of ecdysterone and of two metabolites, 14-deoxy ecdysterone and 14-deoxy poststerone was achieved. Ecdysterone was the most abundant analyte present in post-administration urines, detected for more than 2 days with a maximum concentration (Cmax) in the 2.8-8.5 h urines (Cmax = 4.4-30.0 µg/mL). The metabolites 14-deoxy ecdysterone and 14-deoxy poststerone were detected later reaching the maximum concentrations at 8.5-39.5 h (Cmax = 0.1-6.0 µg/mL) and 23.3-41.3 h (Cmax = 0.1-1.5 µg/mL), respectively. Cumulative urinary excretion yielded average values of 18%, 2.3% and 1.5% for ecdysterone, 14-deoxy ecdysterone and 14-deoxy poststerone, respectively. Ecdysterone and 14-deoxy ecdysterone were excreted following first order kinetics with half-lives calculated with three hours, while pharmacokinetics of 14-deoxy poststerone needs further evaluation.

Building electric energy is characterized by a significant increase of its uses (e.g. vehicle charging), a rapidly declining cost of all related data collection and a proliferation of smart grid concepts, including diverse and flexible electricity pricing schemes. Not surprisingly, an increased number of approaches have been proposed for its modeling and forecasting. In this work, we place our emphasis on three forecasting related issues. First, on the forecasting explainability, i.e. the ability to understand and explain to the user what shapes the forecast. To this extent we rely on concepts and approaches that are inherently explainable, such as the evolutionary approach of genetic programming (GP) and its associated symbolic expressions, as well as the so-called SHAP (SHapley Additive eXplanations) values, which is a well established model agnostic approach for explainability, especially in terms of feature importance. Second, we investigate the impact of the training timeframe on the forecasting accuracy; this is driven by the realization that a fast training would allow for faster deployment of forecasting in real life solutions. And third, we explore the concept of counterfactual analysis on actionable features, i.e. features that the user can really act upon and which therefore present an inherent advantage when it comes to decision support. We have found that SHAP values can provide important insights into the model explainability. As for GP models, we have found comparable and in some cases superior accuracy when compared to its neural-network and time-series counterparts but a rather questionable potential to produce crisp and insightful symbolic expressions, allowing a better insight into the model performance. We have also found, and report here on an important potential especially for practical, decision support, solutions of counterfactuals built on actionable features and short training timeframes.

The process of international migration causes a situation of vulnerability in people's health and greater difficulty in coping with disease. Furthermore, the adversities suffered during migration can trigger reactive signs of stress and cause anxious, depressive, confusional and somatic symptoms. This article studies the relationships between psychosocial risk, psychological distress and somatization in immigrants from 4 communities: Maghrebis, Sub-Saharans, South Americans and South Asian. A cross-sectional study was carried out with questionnaires on 602 immigrants who were surveyed in the Primary Care Centres of an urban area of Catalonia. The instruments used were the Demographic Psychosocial Inventory (DPSI), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the Somatic Symptom Inventory (SSI). The average psychosocial risk obtained was 0.35, with the highest values in the sub-Saharan community. Psychological distress showed a mean value of 0.66, with the sub-Saharan community scoring the lowest in all dimensions except depression. The average somatization values were 1.65, with the sub-Saharan community scoring the least. The female gender is a risk factor for somatization and psychological distress. Perceived psychosocial risk is a predictor of psychological distress, but not somatization, suggesting that the use of more adaptive coping strategies could minimize the effect of the migration process on somatizations.

Indole and indole-3-lactate are known dominant microbial tryptophan catabolites (MICT). In obesity, the fecal indole concentration corresponds to the normal one, and that of indole-3-lactate significantly decreases along with other MICT, while it increases in blood plasma. During the analysis of the «enzymatic landscape» of the intestinal microbiota we find an almost twofold increase in the correlation between the concentrations of fecal MICT and the «enzymatic landscape», with indole-3-lactate having the closest relationships with the “enzymatic landscape” of all MICT. Here, we report statistically significant correlations of indole-3-lactate and the gut microbial enzymes for fructose, amino sugars, nucleotides, polyamines metabolism, and sulfoglycolysis. We also demonstrate that indole-3-lactate producing microbiota representatives increase three-fold in obesity. The phenotype of the microbiotic population is thus represented by completely different genera and species of microorganisms in obese individuals compared to healthy donors.

Calcium sulfate (CS) materials containing terbium ions at 0, 1.0, or 2.0 mol.% were obtained by mechanochemical synthesis. According to X-ray diffraction data, the powder materials are characterized by the presence of a CaSO4×0.5H2O phase, while Tb3+ is incorporated into the lattice at ≤1.0 mol.%. Specific surface area enlarged from 2.1 to 22.5 m2/g as crystallite size decreased from 68 to 31 nm and the Tb3+ concentration increased up to 1.0 mol.%. Thermal analysis showed that terbium slightly raises the temperature of CaSO4×2H2O-to-CaSO4 transition. The presence of Tb3+ did not affect the solubility of the CS cements. Furthermore, after 7 days of soaking of the materials in a simulated body fluid, a calcium phosphate layer formed corresponding to a hydroxyapatite phase, in contrast to the pure cements. Luminescent properties were studied by excitation at 276 nm. The recorded emission peaks of the CS materials indicated that the luminescence of the samples is green and blue, with the most intense luminescence observed for samples containing 1.0 mol.% Tb3+. The developed materials can find applications in medicine as bioimplants for the regeneration and restoration of bone tissue with a possibility of noninvasive monitoring of the bone restoration process.

The development of magnesium calcium phosphate bone cements (MCPCs) have garnered big attention. MCPCs are bioactive and biodegradable and have appropriate mechanical and antimicrobial properties for use in reconstructive surgery. In this study, the cement powders based on a (Ca + Mg)/P = 2 system doped with Zn2+ at 0.5 and 1.0 wt.% were obtained and investigated. After the mixing with a cement liquid, structural and phase composition, morphology, chemical structure, setting time, compressive strength, degradation behavior, solubility, antibacterial activities, and in vitro behaviour of the cement materials were examined. A high compressive strength of 48 ± 5 MPa (mean ± SD) was achieved for the cement made from Zn2+ 1.0-wt.%-substituted powders. The Zn2+ introduction led to antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains, with an inhibition zone diameter up to 8 mm. Biological assays confirmed that the developed cements are cytocompatible and promising as a potential bone substitute in reconstructive surgery.

The aim of this work is a comprehensive study of the effect of variable atomic composition and structural-phase state of (CoFeZr)x(MgF2)100-x nanocomposites (NCs) on their nonlinear electronic and magnetic/magneto-optical properties. Micrometer-thick nanocomposites layers on the glass substrates were obtained by ion-beam sputtering of a composite target in the argon atmosphere in a wide range of compositions x=9-51at.% The value of the resistive percolation threshold xper=34 at.%, determined from the concentration dependences of the electrical resistance of NCs, coincides with the beginning of nucleation of metallic nanocrystals CoFeZr in MgF2 dielectric matrix. The absolute value of maximum magnetoresistance of NCs is 2.4 % in a magnetic field of 5.5 kOe at x=25 at.%, up to the percolation threshold. Two maxima appear in the concentration dependences of magneto-optical transversal Kerr effect, one of which at x = 34 at.% corresponds to the formation of CoFeZr alloy nanocrystals of a hexagonal structure, and the second one at x=45 at.% corresponds to the phase transition of nanocrystals from a hexagonal to a cubic body-centered structure. The magnetic percolation threshold in (CoFeZr)x(MgF2)100-x system at xfm=34 at.% with the appearance of a hysteresis loop and a coercive force of Hc≈ 8 Oe, coincides with the resistive percolation threshold xper=34 at.%. Concentration dependence of the coercive force showed that at low contents of metallic alloy x<30 at.% NCs are superparamagnetic (Hc=0). With an increase of the alloy content, in the region of magnetic and resistive percolation thresholds NCs exhibit a magnetically soft ferromagnetic character and do not change it far beyond the percolation threshold with the maximum value of the coercive force Hc< 30 Oe. Decrease in magnetic order and soft ferromagnetic are influenced by the diamagnetic phase FeF2 that we discovered at the interface of magnetic nanocrystals CoFeZr with a dielectric matrix MgF2 by the Mössbauer spectroscopy.

The impact of the crystalline or amorphous structure of a solid on the solubility and pharmacokinetic properties of a drug candidate is always considered by the pharmaceutical industry during the development of a new drug, however, it is not so frequently considered during the early discovery process by organic and medicinal chemists, particularly working at the academia. We want to share, as an example case, the false negative obtained in the biological testing of a solid sample of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor due to an unexpected crystallinity with respect to a solid amorphous batch of the same compound and the experimentation carried out to establish the origin of such inconsistency.

Oxygen exists in two gaseous and six solid allotropic modifications. An additional allotropic modification of oxygen, the cyclooctaoxygen, was predicted to exist in 1990. The first synthesis and characterization of cyclooctaoxygen as its sodium crown complex, isolated in the form of three cytosine nucleoside hydrochloride complexes, was reported in 2016. Cyclooctaoxygen sodium was synthesized from atmospheric oxygen, or catalase effect-generated oxygen, under catalysis of cytosine nucleosides and either ninhydrin or eukaryotic low-molecular weight RNA. The cationic cyclooctaoxygen sodium complex was shown to bind RNA and DNA, to associate with single-stranded DNA and spermine phosphate, and to be essentially non-toxic to cultured mammalian cells at 0.1–1.0 mM concentration. We postulated that cyclooctaoxygen is formed in most eukaryotic cells from dihydrogen peroxide in a catalase reaction catalysed by cytidine and RNA. A molecular biological model was deduced for a first epigenetic shell of eukaryotic euchromatin. This model incorporates an epigenetic explanation for the interactions of the essential micronutrient selenium (as selenite) with eukaryotic euchromatin. The sperminium phosphate/cyclooctaoxygen sodium complex is calculated to cover the actively transcribed regions (2.6%) of bovine lymphocyte interphase genome. Cyclooctaoxygen seems to be naturally absent in hypoxia-induced highly condensed chromatin, taken as a model for eukaryotic metaphase/anaphase/early telophase mitotic chromatin. We hence propose that the cyclooctaoxygen sodium-bridged spermine phosphate and selenite coverage serves as an epigenetic shell of actively transcribed gene regions in eukaryotic ‘open’ euchromatin DNA. The total herbicide glyphosate (ROUNDUP) and its metabolite (aminomethyl)phosphonic acid (AMPA) are proved to represent ‘epigenetic poisons’, since they both selectively destroy the cyclooctaoxygen sodium complex. This definition is of reason, since the destruction of cyclooctaoxygen is sufficient to bring the protection shield of human euchromatin into collateral epigenetic collapse.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common geriatric syndrome affecting bladder health and is especially prevalent in nursing homes (NHs). The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of UI and its associated factors in 5 Spanish NHs. UI (measured with Minimum Data Set 3.0.), sociodemographic and health-related variables were collected. Chi- square (or Fisher’s) or Student’s t-test (or Mann Whitney U) for bivariate analysis were used, with Prevalence Ratio (PR) as an association measure. The prevalence of UI was 66.1% (CI:95%, 53.6–77.2) and was significantly associated with frailty (PR 1.84; 95%CI 0.96–3.53), faecal incontinence (FI) (PR 1.65; 95%CI 1.02–2.65), anxiety (PR 1.64; 95%CI 1.01–2.66), physical performance (PR 1.77; 95%CI 1.00–3.11) and cognitive state (PR 1.95; 95%CI 1.05–3.60). Statistically significant differences between incontinent-continent groups were found for activities of daily living (ADL) limitations, mobility, quality of life, sedentary behaviour (SB) and handgrip strength. It can be concluded that 2/3 of the residents experienced UI, and its significant associated factors were mainly physical (SB, frailty, physical performance, ADL limitations, mobility, FI and handgrip strength) followed by psycho-cognitive factors (cognition, anxiety and quality of life).

Astrocytes are considered to possess a noticeable role in brain metabolism and as a partners in neuron-glia cooperation contribute to synthesis, bioconversions and regulation of the flux of substrates for neuronal metabolism. With the aim to investigate to which extend are human astrocytes metabolizing amino acids and by which compounds are they enriching their surrounding we employed the metabolomics analysis of their culture media by 1H-NMR. In addition, we compered the composition of media with either 5 mM or 25 mM glucose. The quantitative analysis of culture media by 1H-NMR revealed that astrocytes readely dispose from their milieu glutamine, branched-chain amino acids, and pyruvate with significantly high rate, while they enrich the culture media with lactate, branched-chain keto acids, citrate, acetate, ketone bodies, and alanine. The hyperglycemia suppressed the capacity of astrocytes to release branched-chain amino acids while stimulating the generation of ketone bodies. Our results highlight the active involvement of astrocytes in metabolism of several amino acids, and the regulation of key metabolic intermediates. The observed metabolic activities of astrocytes provide valuable insights into their roles in supporting neuronal function, brain metabolism, and intercellular metabolic interactions within the brain. Understanding the complex metabolic interactions between astrocytes and neurons is essential for elucidating brain homeostasis and the pathophysiology of neurological disorders.

The amalgamation of mineral and targeted bacterial preparations represents a new generation of agricultural technology. Inoculation with combined preparations of microorganisms is more effective than inoculation with a single microorganism in stimulating plant growth by providing a more balanced diet for various crops. In this work, the effect of inoculation of 20 consortium variants on the yield indicators of three crops (wheat, buckwheat, corn) and the soil microbiome in the open field was investigated. The soil microbiome was defined by 16S rRNA sequences through NGS. Species richness of the soil microbial community (alpha diversity) was similar for all studied samples. Beta-diversity analysis revealed that the microbial diversity of three soil samples (C.bw, F.bw and Soil.bw) differed significantly from all others. At the phylum level, the number of Acidobacteriota and Firmicutes in these samples was increased. For the combination “Consortium C (Rothia endophytic GMG9 and Azotobacter chroococcum GMG39) - buckwheat”, a systemic positive improvement in all growth and yield indicators was observed. The soil of the site where buckwheat grew, inoculated by Consortium C, contained significantly more available phosphorus than all other soil samples. Such results can be explained both by the direct action of a consortium of phosphate-immobilizing and nitrogen-fixing bacteria and to acidification of the medium due to an increase in phylum Acidobacteriota bacteria in the soil.

(1) Background: Loneliness, little studied in Nursing Homes (NHs), can affect physical and mental health. We aimed to verify the prevalence of loneliness in 5 NHs and its associated factors. (2) Methods: Cross-sectional study. Older adults aged 65 or over with preserved cognitive status were included. The De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale was used to assess overall, social, and emotional loneliness; sociodemographic and health-related variables were collected. The chi-square (or Fisher’s) test and logistic regression were used for bivariate and multivariate analysis respectively. (3) Results: The final sample consisted of 65 participants (81.5% female) with a mean age of 84±7.13. Prevalence of overall loneliness was 70.7% (95%CI:58.2-81.4), social loneliness 44.6% (95% CI: 33.1-56.6) and emotional loneliness 46.2% (95% CI: 34.5–58.1). Overall loneliness was associated with lower perceived quality of life (Odds Ratio-OR= 5.52, 95% CI:1.25-24.38) and NH with state subsidized places (OR=0.19, 95% CI: 0.05-0.74); social loneliness with having 0-1 children (OR=0.25, 95% CI: 0.08-0.77), and emotional loneliness with depression (OR=4.54, 95% CI: 1.28-16.08) and urinary incontinence (UI) (OR=4.65, 95% CI: 1.23-17.52). (4) Conclusions: Loneliness was present in almost 71% of residents and was associated with the type of NH and poorer quality of life, emotional loneliness with depression and UI and social loneliness with having less than 2 children.

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) serum levels are associated with liver fibrogenesis and have been proposed as a biomarker for diagnosis. However, the source and role of OPG in liver fibrosis are unknown, as is the question whether OPG expression responds to treatment. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the regulation of OPG production and its biological activity in human and mouse livers. OPG levels were significantly higher in lysates of human cirrhotic and mouse fibrotic livers compared to healthy livers. Hepatic OPG expression localized in cirrhotic collagenous bands in and around myofibroblasts. Single cell sequencing of murine liver cells showed hepatic stellate cells (HSC) to be the main producers of OPG in healthy livers. Using mouse precision-cut liver slices, we found OPG production induced by transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) stimulation. Moreover, OPG itself stimulated expression of genes associated with fibrogenesis in liver slices through TGFβ1, suggesting profibrotic activity of OPG. Resolution of fibrosis in mice was associated with significantly lower OPG levels in livers as compared to their fibrotic counterparts.OPG stimulates fibrogenesis through TGFβ1 and is closely associated with the degree of fibrogenesis. It may therefore be a novel drug target for liver fibrosis or be used as a biomarker for treatment success of novel antifibrotics.

This work presents the results of a comprehensive physico-chemical and biological study of hu-mic substances samples – an extract of humic and fulvic acids. The performed loss on drying test showed a 22 times different dry matter content between EHS and FA. The morphology and dis-tribution of particles in the dry residue of the samples assessed using the methods of optical and digital microscopy demonstrated differences in the qualitative features of the microstructures of their surfaces and granulometries. Shimadzu X-ray fluorescence spectrometry revealed Si (8.1 and 1.7%), P (33.5 and 2.7%), S (4.3 and 59.5%), K (1.35 and 2.5%), Ca (10.9 and 3.2%), Mn (0.27 and 0.06%), Fe (11 and 0.05%), Cu (0.16 and 0.45%), Zn (0.06 and 0.02%) in the dry residues of the EHS and FA samples, respectively. A high intensity of the X-ray fluorescence signal for Fe atoms in the EHS sample was demonstrated. The FT-IR spectra for EHS and FA are characterized by simi-lar vibration frequencies that are characteristic of the chromone derivatives (1-benzopyran-4-one). The UV absorption spectrum is characterized by max = 281 nm for FA. The EHS solution showed a fluorescence maximum at em = 560 nm at ex = 280 nm. Using the DLS method, nanoparticles of 1 nm and 200 nm were detected in EHS and FA diluted solutions, which are likely to condition the biochemical and physical properties of humic acids. Using the Spiro-tox-test method, the absence of the toxic effect of humic acids on the cell model of ciliates Sp. am-bigua was established. When the cell model was incubated in a solution of a toxicant of the fluo-roquinolone group, a decrease in toxicity was demonstrated when diluted with the EHS solu-tion. The results of the study of the antiviral activity of EHS and FA showed that the study ob-jects in the culture of Vero-E6 cells, in doses non-toxic to cells, suppress the reproduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus both in the study of the virucidal effect and in the study of the antiviral activ-ity according to the therapeutic and prophylactic model scheme of injection. The results obtained suggest that standardized drugs based on humic acids may open up new perspectives in their biomedical application as antiviral drugs.

Currently, multiple studies have indicated that CD8+ T lymphocytes play a role in causing damage to the exocrine glands through acinar injury in Primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS). The aim of this research was to assess the imbalance of subsets within CD8+ cells in peripheral blood. We examined blood samples from 34 patients with pSS and 34 healthy individuals as controls. We used flow cytometry to enumerate CD8+ T cell maturation stages using as markers CD62L, CD28, CD27, CD4, CD8, CD3, CD45RA, and CD45. For immunophenotyping of ‘polarized’ CD8+ T cell subsets we used the following monoclonal antibodies:CXCR5, CCR6,CXCR3 and CCR4. The findings revealed that both the relative and absolute numbers of 'naïve' CD8+ T cells were higher in pSS patients compared to the healthy volunteers. Conversely, the proportions of effector memory CD8+ T cells were notably lower. Furthermore, our data suggested that among patients with pSS, the levels of cytotoxic Tc1 CD8+ T cells were reduced, while the frequencies of regulatory cytokine-producing Tc2 and Tc17 CD8+ T cells were significantly elevated. Simultaneously, the Tc1 cell subsets displayed a negative correlation with immunoglobulin G, Rheumatoid factor, the Schirmer test, and unstimulated saliva flow. On the other hand, the Tc2 cell subsets exhibited a positive correlation with these parameters. In summary, our study indicated that immune dysfunction within CD8+ T cells, including alterations in Tc1 cells, plays a significant role in the development of pSS.

No abstract available

Glioblastoma is a highly malignant brain tumor consisting of heterogeneous cellular population. The transformed metabolism of glioblastoma cells supports their growth and division on the background of their milieu. One might hypothesize that the transformed metabolism of a primary glioblastoma could be well adapted to limitations in the variety and number of substrates imported into the brain parenchyma and present it their microenvironment. Additionally, the phenotypic heterogeneity of cancer cells could promote the variations among their metabolic capabilities regarding the utilization of available substrates and release of metabolic intermediates. With the aim to identify the putative metabolic footprint of different types of glioblastoma cells, we exploited the possibility for separation of polar and ionic molecules present in culture media or cell lysates by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). The mass spectrometry (MS) was then used to identify and quantify the eluted compounds. The introduced method allows the detection and quantification of more than 150 polar and ionic metabolites in single run, those may be present either in culture media or cell lysates and provide data for polaromic studies within metabolomics. The method was applied to analyze the culture media and cell lysates derived from two types of glioblastoma cells, T98G and U118. The analysis revealed that even the both types of glioblastoma cells share several common metabolic aspects, they also exhibit differences in their metabolic capability. This finding agrees with the hypothesis about metabolic heterogeneity of glioblastoma cells. Furthermore, the combination of both analytical methods, HILIC-MS, provides a valuable tool for metabolomic studies based on the simultaneous identification and quantification of a wide range of polar and ionic metabolites - polaromics.

The optical properties of the Nafion polymer membrane containing colloidal CdSe/CdS/ZnS nanocrystals embedded by diffusion have been studied. The CdSe/CdS/ZnS nanocrystals have a core/shell/shell appearance. A toluene solution was used to provide mobility of the active sul-fone groups of the Nafion membrane and to embed the nanocrystals inside the membrane. The kinetics of the process of nanocrystal embedding into the membrane matrix was studied using luminescence analysis, absorption spectroscopy and laser emission spectroscopy techniques. The diffusion of colloidal CdSe/CdS/ZnS nanocrystals into the Nafion proton exchange membrane resulted in a new molecular complex «Nafion-colloidal CdSe/CdS/ZnS nanocrystals». The pres-ence of new luminescence centers based on CdSe/CdS/ZnS nanocrystals in the membrane was registered using laser emission spectroscopy. Colloidal nanocrystals located in the Nafion ma-trix represent an analogue of a luminescent transducer. The lines contained in the luminescence spectrum of the membrane, which has been in solution with colloidal nanocrystals for a long time, registered upon its drying, show the kinetics of the formation of the molecular complex «Nafion membrane - nanocrystals». The luminescence spectrum of the membrane with nano-crystals contains additional intensity maxima that do not coincide with the spectral lines of the solvent and Nafion membrane. The intensity of the luminescence spectrum of the membrane with embedded nanocrystals is higher than the intensity of the secondary emission peak of the initial nanocrystals, which is important for the practical use of the complex «Nafion-colloidal nanocrystals» in optical systems.

The study of different forms of preconditioners for solving a system of nonlinear equations, by using Newton’s method, is presented. The preconditioners provide numerical stability and rapid convergence with reasonable computation cost, whenever chosen accurately. Different families of iterative methods can be constructed by using a different kind of preconditioners. The multi-step iterative method consists of a base method and multi-step part. The convergence order of base method is quadratic and each multi-step add an additive factor of one in the previously achieved convergence order. Hence the convergence of order of an m-step iterative method is m + 1. Numerical simulations confirm the claimed convergence order by calculating the computational order of convergence. Finally, the numerical results clearly show the benefit of preconditioning for solving system of nonlinear equations.

Strain L. fermentum U-21 secretes chaperones into the medium and it is considered as the candidate for the development of drugs, so-called disaggregases, for Parkinson’s disease therapy. This study is devoted to characterization of secreted protein encoded by C0965_000195 locus. Analysis of sequence and predicted structure of the protein encoded by C0965_000195 allows us to attribute it to the ClpL, homologs of which are known to be chaperones. The chaperone activity of ClpL L. fermentum U-21 was evaluated in vivo by refolding of differing in thermostability luciferases from Aliivibrio fischeri and Photorhabdus luminescens in Escherichia coli cells. It was observed that clpL from L. fermentum U-21 can compensate for the deficiency in the clpB gene and enhance the ability to refold thermodenatured proteins in clpB- cells. In vitro experiments have demonstrated the ability of a spent culture medium containing proteins secreted by L. fermentum U-21 cells, including ClpL, to prevent thermodenaturation of luciferases partially.We suggest that the ClpL protein from L. fermentum U-21 strain, which exhibits disaggregase properties against aggregating proteins, may be one of the clue components that play a role in the pharmabiotic properties of this strain.

Aim: The aim of this study was to use a multi target approach to testing with both serological tests and an in-house real-time molecular test to investigate the prevalence of the caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) in goats from three hobbyist farms in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. Materials and Methods: We have approached the detection of using a multi target approach testing with both ELISA and an in-house real-time PCR test to investigate the prevalence of CAEV in goats. Animals from three hobbyist farms were used in this study. The animals from two farms (n=13 for F1 and n=8 for F2) had clinical signs of arthritis and mastitis. In the third farm (n=15 for F3), all goats were homebred and had no contact with imported animals. Results: CAEV antibodies (ELISA targets TM env and gag genes) were detected in serum samples from two farms (F1 and F2), indicating a seroprevalence 87.50-92.31%. Specific CAEV antibodies were also detected in milk samples. CAEV proviral DNA was detected in 53.85-62.50%. Results from all tests performed in the third farm (F3) were negative, indicting all tests were 100% specific.Conclusion: Results of this work show that CAEV is circulating and present in small hobbyist goat farms in Russia. Serological and molecular tests could be of importance for CAEV control and eradication programs in Russia for hobbyist goat farms.

Background and Objectives: Renal cell carcinomas and upper tract urothelial carcinomas are types of malignancies that originate in the kidneys. Each of these examples shows an increasing trend in the frequency and the mortality rate. This study aims to comprehensively define carcinomas by analysing clinical, paraclinical, and histological aspects to predict aggressiveness and mortality. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective investigation on a group of patients suspected with kidney cancers. Results: We identified 188 cases. We observed a higher mortality rate and older age in individuals with urothelial carcinomas. Anemia, acute kidney injury, hematuria and perineural invasion were the main risk factors that predicted their mortality. Tumour size in renal cell carcinomas correlates with the presence of necrosis and sarcomatoid areas. Factors that indicate a higher rate of death are older age, exceeding of the renal capsule, the lesion that includes the entire kidney, lymphovascular invasion, acute kidney injury, and anemia. Conclusions: Even if they originate at the renal level, and the clinical-paraclinical picture is similar, the histopathological characteristics make the difference. In addition, to these are added the previously mentioned common parameters that can represent important prognostic factors. In conclusion, the characteristics commonly identified in one type of cancer may act as risk factors for the other tumor. The detected data include threshold values and risk factors, making a significant contribution to the existing literature.

Background: Early diagnosis of postoperative complications is an urgent task, allowing timely prescribing of appropriate therapy and reducing the cost of patient treatment. Prognostic models based on various data could help in the early diagnosis of postoperative complications after cardiac surgery. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to determine whether an integrated approach based on clinical data along with metabolites and biomarkers had greater predictive value than the models built on less data. Methods: The study included patients (n=62) admitted for planned cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass), who were retrospectively divided into two groups depending on the presence (n=26) or absence (n=36) of postoperative complications of all types. Clinical and laboratory data on the first day after surgery were analyzed. Additionally, patients' blood samples were collected before and on the first day after surgery to determine biomarkers (interleukin-6, procalcitonin, NT-proBNP, high-sensitivity troponin T) and metabolites (8 aromatic and 2 dicarboxylic acids were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). Results: Patients before surgery, compared with healthy donors, differed in the concentration of metabolites (p &lt; 0.05), and had concentrations of a number of biomarkers exceeding the corresponding reference values. Multivariate PLS-DA models, predicting the presence or absence of postoperative complications, were built using clinical data (ROC-AUC=0.71), concentrations of metabolites and biomarkers (ROC-AUC=0.60), and the entire data set (ROC-AUC=0.75). For comparison we built univariate models using the EuroScore2 (ROC-AUC=0.59) and SOFA (ROC-AUC=0.76) scales; concentrations of lactate (ROC-AUC=0.71), the dynamic changes of 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid (ROC-AUC=0.69), and the sum of three sepsis-associated metabolites (ROC-AUC=0.70). The proposed complex model using entire data set was comparable to the SOFA scale, which confirms the expediency of searching for new predictive models based on a variety of factors.

Milk serves as a crucial source of natural bioactive compounds essential for human nutrition and health. The gastrointestinal digestion of milk proteins releases various biologically active peptides that positively impact human health and enhance physiological performance. With the growing production of cheese, Greek yogurt, and other dairy products, the volume of unutilized acid whey is significantly increasing. Acid whey, containing almost all whey proteins and approximately one-quarter of casein, presents a valuable raw material for generating peptides with potential health benefits. These peptides exhibit properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, opioid, mineral-binding, and growth-stimulating activities, contributing to improved human immunity and the treatment of chronic diseases. Enzymatic hydrolysis of milk proteins has been developed as a method to produce these peptides, facilitating their use in food fortification. To incorporate whey into functional beverages, it undergoes fermentation by lactic acid bacteria with proteolytic activity. To specifically enrich these beverages with peptides exhibiting targeted bioactivities, it is essential to select lactic acid bacteria strains possessing the requisite protease profiles. Additionally, the sensory properties of the final product can be enhanced using starter cultures with diverse metabolic capabilities, even in the absence of added flavoring agents. Given the imperative to develop waste-free technologies and enhance the profitability of the dairy industry, there is a growing need to efficiently utilize and transform acid whey into a broad spectrum of valuable products and food additives. This approach is justified not only by the nutritional benefits of the bioactive components in whey but also by the commercial potential of safe and health-enhancing products.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

The impact of interaction SS with MJO on rainfall along Java Island to East Nusa Tenggara has been studied using daily rainfall observation data from 2140 weather observation stations, which are also equipped with GSMaP, OLR, and ERA5 data. There were 61 SS events found, 17 during active MJO and 44 in inactive MJO. Rainfall increases more in the western study area when the active MJO and more in the eastern study area when the inactive MJO is due to SS. SS reduces rainfall in the Jakarta region, regardless of the activity or inactivity of the MJO. SS causes extreme rainfall to only occur in a small part of certain areas, so it tends to significantly reduce the possibility of extreme rainfall. In the southern part of the IMC, SS predominates over MJO in supporting increased water vapor transport. Large-scale synoptic circulations like the monsoon, SS, and MJO can interact with local land-sea wind circulation to produce spatiotemporal variability in rainfall on Java Island. Rainfall mostly increases in the afternoon and decreases in the morning when SS occurs, whether there is MJO or not. Convective instability analysis indicates that SS increases precipitation, most likely by lowering CIN and raising VIMFC.

In order to shorten the detection time and improve the average precision on embedded devices, A lightweight and high accuracy model is proposed for passion fruit in complex environments (backlight, occlusion, overlap, sunny, cloudy, rainy). Firstly, replacing the backbone network of YOLOv5 with a lightweight GhostNet model reduces the number of parameters and computation while improving detection speed. Secondly, a new feature branch is added to the GhostNet network, and the feature fusion layer in the neck network is reconstructed to effectively combine the lower-level and higher-level features, which not only improves the accuracy of the model but also maintains its lightweight. Finally, the knowledge distillation methods are used to transfer the knowledge from the more capable teacher model to the less capable student model, which significantly improving the detection accuracy. The improved model is denoted as G-YOLO-NK. The average accuracy of the G-YOLO-NK network is 96.00%, which is 1.00% higher than the original YOLOv5s model. Furthermore, the improved model size is 7.14MB, reduced to half of the original model, and the real-time detection frame rate is 11.25 FPS on the Jetson Nano. Compared to the state-of-the-art model, the proposed model outperforms them in terms of average precision and detection performance. The present work provides an effective model for real-time detection of passion fruits in complex orchard scenes, which can provide valuable technical support for the development of orchard picking robots and greatly improve the intelligence level of orchards.

The Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) scanner is an easy and portable Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data acquisition device. Its main output is a 3D point cloud covering the scanned scene. Regarding the importance of accuracy in the survey domain, this paper aims to assess the accuracy of two SLAM scanners: the NavVis VLX and the BLK2GO Scanner. This assessment is conducted for both outdoor and indoor environments. In this context, two types of reference data are used: the Total Station (TS) and the static scanner Z+F Imager 5016. To carry out the assessment, four comparisons are tested: cloud to cloud, cloud to mesh, mesh to mesh, and edge detection board assessment. However, the results of the assessments confirm that the accuracy of indoor SLAM scanner measurements (5 mm) is greater than that of outdoor ones (between 10 mm and 60 mm). Moreover, the comparison of cloud to cloud provides the best accuracy regarding direct accuracy measurement without manipulations. Finally, based on the high accuracy, scanning speed, flexibility, and the accuracy differences between tested cases, it is confirmed that SLAM scanners are effective tools for data acquisition.

In recent years, electroencephalogram (EEG) emotion recognition has emerged as a research hotspot in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Despite advancements in EEG-based emotion recognition, room for enhancing performance persists due to EEG signal redundancy and limitations in feature extraction, leading to inefficient models and emotional information loss. To fully utilize EEG's emotional information and improve recognition accuracy while reducing computational costs, this paper proposes a Convolutional-Recurrent Hybrid Network with a dual-stream adaptive approach and an attention mechanism (CSA-SA-CRTNN). Firstly, the model utilizes a CSAM module to assign corresponding weights to EEG channels. Then, an adaptive dual-stream convolutional-recurrent network (SA-CRNN and MHSA-CRNN) is applied to extract local spatial-temporal features. After that, the extracted local features are concatenated and fed into a temporal convolutional network with a multi-head self-attention mechanism (MHSA-TCN) to capture global information. Finally, the extracted EEG information is used for emotion classification. We conducted binary and ternary classification experiments on the DEAP dataset, achieving 99.26% and 99.15% accuracy for arousal and valence in binary classification, and 97.69% and 98.05% in ternary classification, surpassing relevant algorithms. Additionally, the model's efficiency is significantly higher than other models, achieving better accuracy with lower resource consumption.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

Background: Educating college students about the importance of good sleep habits could lead to the adoption of healthier sleep routines, including sufficient sleep duration and sleep quality. The current pre-post study examines the impact of completing a sleep education program called “Sleep 101” on (1) sleep hygiene practices, (2) sleep quality, and (3) weekday and weekend sleep behaviors among college students. “Sleep 101” is an interactive online course developed to educate college students about the importance of sleep by addressing basic sleep physiology, the impact of sleep on mood, academic and physical performance, the interactions between sleep and various substances, and common sleep disorders. Methods: 338 college students were recruited from a midsized public university in the US and invited to participate in “Sleep 101”, of which 25 participants completed the baseline and post-intervention questionnaire. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was utilized to evaluate sleep hygiene practices, while standard questions were employed to assess weekday and weekend sleep behaviors and overall sleep quality. Results: Those who completed the study demonstrated a significant increase in weekday sleep duration and were less likely to engage in negative prior bedtime activities. In addition, 40% of those who completed baseline and post-intervention assessments noticed improvements in their sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a brief online program is beneficial in improving sleep behaviors among college and could be a scalable approach to addressing current sleep issues and preventing future sleep problems in college students.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

Superior fiber quality is one of the most important objectives in cotton breeding. To detect the genetic basis underlying fiber quality, an F2 population containing 413 plants was constructed by crossing Jifeng 914 and Jifeng 173, both of which have superior fiber quality, with Jifeng 173 being better. Five fiber quality traits were investigated in the F2, F2:3, F2:4, and F2:5 populations. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping was conducted based on a high-density genetic map containing 11,488 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and spanning 4,202.12 cM in length. Transgressive segregation patterns and complex correlations in the five tested traits were observed. A total of 108 QTLs were found, including 27 for fiber length (FL), 16 for fiber strength (FS), 24 for micronaire (MC), 17 for fiber uniformity (FU), and 24 for fiber elongation rate (FE). Chromosome A7 contained 12 QTL, ranking the first. No QTL was found on chromosome D1 and D11. Each QTL contributed 1.98%–21.45% to the phenotypic variation (PV), including 13 major effect QTLs that contributed more than 10% toward PV. Two QTLs could be repeatedly detected in three populations, including qFL-D3-2 in F2, F2:4, and F2:5 with 9.18%–21.45% of PV, qFS-A11-1 in F2:3, F2:4 and F2:5 with 6.05%–10.41% of PV. Another seven stable QTLs could be detected in two populations, including four major effect QTLs: qFL-A12-3, qFS-D10-2, qMC-D6-2, and qMC-D8-1. Fourteen QTL-overlapping regions were found, which might explain the complex correlations among the five phenotypic traits. Four regions on chromosome A11, D3, D6, and D10 covered by both stable and major effect QTLs are promising for further fine mapping. The genomic regions of the two QTLs detected in three populations and the four major effect QTLs contain 810 genes. Gene functional analysis revealed that the annotated genes are mainly involved in protein binding and metabolic pathways. Fifteen candidate genes in the qFL-D3-2 region are highly expressed in fiber or ovules during fiber initiation, elongation, secondary cell wall thickening, or maturation stages. qRT-PCR revealed that Ghir_D03G005440.1 and Ghir_D03G011310.1 may play a role in promoting fiber initiation, Ghir_D03G006470.1 may be beneficial for promoting fiber elongation. This study provides more information for revealing the molecular genetic basis underlying cotton fiber quality.

Currently there are fewer depth models applied to pepper picking detection, while the existing generalized neural networks have problems such as large model parameters, long training time, and low model accuracy.In order to solve the above problems, this paper proposes a Yolo-chili target detection algorithm for chili pepper detection. First, the classical target detection algorithm yolov5 is used as a benchmark model, and an adaptive spatial feature pyramid structure combining the attention mechanism and the idea of multi-scale prediction is introduced to improve the model's detection effect on occluded peppers and small target peppers. Secondly, a three-channel attention mechanism module is introduced to improve the algorithm's long-distance recognition ability and reduce the interference of redundant testers. Finally, the quantized pruning method is used to reduce the model parameters and realize the lightweight processing of the model. Applying the method to the homemade chili pepper dataset, the AP value of chili pepper reaches 93.11%; the accuracy rate is 93.51% and the recall rate is 92.55%.The experimental results show that yolo-chili is able to achieve accurate and real-time pepper detection under complex orchards.

The temporary immersion system bioreactor named GreenTray®[2], [3]presents advantages over the existing ones. Firstly, there is no need to use forceps to move the shoots or plantlets in or out of the recipient, neither the use of scalpel to divide them. Secondly, the basis of the shoot can remain in the GreenTray® and can sprout again in several cycles of growth. These two characteristics reduce the costs in the process of micropropagation. Besides, shoots or plantlets development is enhanced by the aeration of the recipient, thus enriching with CO2 the recipient atmosphere. The chapter describes and provides images and values of interest in (1) the micropropagation process of some commercial Prunus or Pyrus rootstocks; (2) the plantlet growth under autotrophic conditions; and (2) the inoculation of plants with pathogens that reproduce in vitro the symptoms observed in vivo, using the GreenTray® bioreactor.

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the clinical outcomes of treating isolated surgical neck fractures of the humerus using either the intramedullary nail or the MIROS (Minimally Invasive Reduction and Osteosynthesis System®) system. The study included 42 patients who underwent surgical treatment at the Polyclinic from January 2014 to June 2020. The results indicated that both treatments were effective; however, the MIROS system exhibited a higher complication rate. Intramedullary nailing was more reliable, thus recommended as the primary treatment method. This study underscores the importance of selecting the appropriate fixation technique to minimize complications and enhance patient outcomes.

Aiming at the problems of inaccurate segmentation of long object and information loss of small object in real-time semantic segmentation algorithm, this paper proposes a lightweight multi-branch real-time semantic segmentation network based on BiseNetV2. The new auxiliary branch makes full use of spatial details and context information to cover the long object in the field of view. Meanwhile, in order to ensure the inference speed of the model, the asymmetric convolution is used in each stage of the auxiliary branch to design a structure with low computational complexity. In the multi-branch fusion stage, the alignment and fusion module is designed to provide guidance information for deep and shallow feature mapping, so as to make up for the problem of feature misalignment in the fusion of information at different scales, and thus reduce the loss of small target information. In order to further improve the model’s awareness of key information, a global context module is designed to capture the most important features in the input data. The proposed network uses NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU experiment, on the road street view data set Cityscapes and CamVid average occurring simultaneously ratio reached 77.1% and 78.4% respectively, with running speed of 127 frames/s respectively and 112 frames/s. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve real-time segmentation and improve the accuracy significantly, showing good semantic segmentation performance

Excess nitrogen in agricultural drainage poses a serious threat to the water quality safety of the Yellow River basin. Utilizing aquatic plants to modify the rhizosphere microbial community structure and facilitate nitrogen transformation is a crucial strategy for mitigating regional water eutrophication. Our results revealed that the denitrification rate (DR), dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium rate (DNRAR) and nitrogen fixation rate (NFR) of rhizosphere sediments exhibited a significant increase in artificially cultivated ditch. Compared with those in natural ditches, the richness of the bacterial community and the relative abundances of Bacteroidota, Verrucomicrobiota, Firmicutes, Anaeromyxobacter and Geobacter, which are involved mainly in the nitrogen cycle, in the rhizosphere sediments of artificially cultivated ditch were significantly greater due to improvements in environmental conditions. In artificially cultivated ditch, the dominant functional genes affecting DRNARs in the rhizosphere sediments of P. australis were nrfC and nrfA, while DRs were driven mainly by norB and napA, which were influenced by the nitrogen and carbon levels; and the dominant functional genes affecting NFRs in the rhizosphere sediments of T. orientalis were nifD, nifK and nifH. Our results provide a scientific basis for the use of aquatic plants for mitigating excess nitrogen levels in agricultural drainage.

Strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora is one of the main diseases of strawberry and significantly impacts the yield and quality of strawberry fruit. There are now no effective control techniques available except for fungicide sprays, which may directly impact consumers. Biological control is becoming an alternative method for the control of plant diseases to replace or decrease the application of traditional synthetic chemical fungicides. Trichoderma is widely used as a biological agent for controlling strawberry root rot. In order to provide resources for screening the highly effective biocontrol fungus for controlling strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, the biocontrol mechanism,the control effects of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 against strawberry root rot and growth-promoting effects on strawberry seedlings were investigated by plate culture, microscopy observation and root drenching methods.The results showed that CMT10 had obvious competitive, antibiotic and hyperparasitism effects on Neopestalotiopsis clavispora CMGF3. The CMT10 could quickly occupy nutritional space, and the inhibition rates of CMT10 against CMGF3 in confrontation culture on 7 d was 65.49%. The inhibition rates of volatile metabolite and fermentation metabolite produced by CMT10 against CMGF3 were 79.67% and 69.84%, respectively. The mycelium of strain CMT10 can act as hyperparasites by making contacting, winding and penetrating hyphae of CMGF3. Pot experiment showed that the biocontrol efficacy of CMT10 on strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora was 63.00%. CMT10 had obvious promotion effect on strawberry growth, the plant height, root length, total fresh weight, root fresh weight, stem fresh weight and root dry weight, with the promotion rates were 20.09%, 22.39%, 87.11%, 101.58%, 79.82% and 72.33%, respectively. Overall, this study showed the ability of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 to control strawberry root rot and their potential to develop as novel biocontrol agents to replace chemical fungicides for eco-friendly, sustainable agriculture.

In this paper we study a class of impulsive delayed neural networks with parameter uncertainties and reaction-diffusion terms. Using the properties of M-matrices and some inequality techniques, some sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the global exponential stability of the given system. The results obtained are presented by simple algebraic inequalities, which are certainly more concise than previous methods. Finally, the validity and usefulness of our results are illustrated by arithmetic examples.

Pyrops candelaria is one of the common pests of fruit trees, but the research on the pathogenic microorganisms it may carry is very limited. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the pathogenic microbes it carries and their potential hazards. This study found a new virus from the transcriptome of P. candelaria, which was first reported in P. candelaria and named as PyCaV (Pyrops candelaria associated virus). RACE and bioinformatics assay revealed that the full-length of PyCaV is 10855 bp with the polyA tail, containing a single open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein consisting of 3171 amino acid (aa). The virus has a typical Iflavirus structure, including two rhv domains, a RNA helicase domain (HEL), a 3C cysteine protease domain (Pro), and a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain (RdRp). Further phylogenetic analysis revealed that this virus belongs to family Iflaviridae and sequence alignements analysis suggedted PyCaV is new member in unassigned genus of family Iflaviridae. Further in-depth analysis of virus-infection-part showed that PyCaV is distributing in the whole longan lanternfly, including its head, chest, and abdomen, but more PyCaV was identified in the chest. The distribution of PyCaV in different parts of P. candelaria was further explored, which showed that more PyCaV were detected in its piercing-sucking mouthparts and chest viscera. Statistical analysis showed that the PyCaV infection was affected by time and locations.

Apis mellifera, especially weak ones, are highly vulnerable to Carpoglyphus lactis mites, which can rapidly infest and consume stored pollen, leading to weakened colonies and potentially colony collapse. This study aimed to ascertain and investigate the prevalence of this mite in honeybee colonies across 9 provinces in the Republic of Korea (ROK). A total of 615 honeybee colonies were collected, from 66 apiaries during the spring and 58 apiaries during the summer of 2023. A 1,242 bp segment of the the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction method. The detection levels of C. lactis in the honeybees were compared between winter and summer. Based on the COI sequence analysis, the nucleotide sequence similarity of C. lactis mites isolated in the ROK with those from China (NC048990.1) was found to be 99.5%, and with those from the United Kingdom (KY922482.1) was 99.3%. This study is the first report of C. lactis in Korean apiaries. The findings in this study demonstrate a significantly higher detection rate in winter, which is 4.1 times greater than that in summer (p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, the results underscore the usefulness of molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting C. lactis mites.

COX II containing a dual core CuA active site is one of the three core subunits of mitochondrial Cco, which plays a significant role in the physiological process. In this report, the full-length cDNA of COXⅡ gene was cloned from Sitophilus zeamais, which had an ORF of 684 bp encoding 227 amino acids residues. The predicted COXⅡ protein had a molecular mass of 26.2 kDa with pI value of 6.37, and multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that Sitophilus zeamais COXⅡ had high sequence identity 78.51% with the COXⅡ of other insect species, especially similarity to sitophilus oryzae. This gene was subcloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a, and induced by IPTG in E.coli Transetta (DE3) expression system. Finally the COXⅡ with 6-His tag was purified using affinity chromatography with Ni²⁺-NTA agarose. WB showed the recombinant COXⅡ was about 44 kD, and the concentration of fusion protein was 50μg/mL. UV-spectrophotometer and infrared spectrometer analysis showed that recombinant COXⅡ could catalyze the oxidation of substrate Cytc, and influenced by AITC. It was found that AITC could form a hydrophobic region with COXⅡ protein via molecular docking, besides, a sulfur atom of AITC structure could form a length of 2.9 Å hydrogen bond with Leu-31. These results will provide valuable information for elucidating the role of COXⅡ in Sitophilus zeamais responses to AITC, meanwhile, it will helpful to carry out a point mutation in AITC binding sites for the future research.

In this paper, we extend the KdVSKR equations in (1+1)-dimension and (2+1)-dimension to fractional KdVSKR equations with modified Riemann-Liouville derivative. The (2+1)-dimensional KdVSKR equation, which is a recent extension of (1+1)-dimensional KdVSKR equation, can model the resonances of solitons in shallow water. By means of the Hirota bilinear method, finite symmetry group method and consistent Riccati expansion method, many new interaction solutions have been derived. Soliton-cnoidal interaction solution of the (1+1)-dimensional fractional KdVSKR equation has been derived for the first time. For the (2+1)-dimensional frac-tional KdVSKR equation, two-wave interaction solutions and three-wave interaction solutions, including dark-soliton-sine interaction solution, bright-soliton-elliptic interaction solution, and lump-hyperbolic-sine interaction solution, have been derived. Impact of the fractional order on the shapes of these solutions has been illustrated by figures. Three-wave interaction solutions of fractional systems have not been reported in the existing references. The research idea in this paper can be applied to other fractional differential equations.

With the burgeoning growth of online retail, the issue of counterfeit products has become a significant threat to both consumer trust and brand integrity, posing challenges to sustainable market practices. Online retail platforms are promoted to redesign their channel structures and enhance brand traceability to tackle counterfeits using blockchain technology. To investigate the interactions between blockchain technology and the channel structures of online retail platforms, we design a game theory model incorporating a manufacturer with(out) blockchain participation selling products via an online retail platform that operates an agency channel and/or a reselling channel. We show that the critical trade-off of blockchain participation comprises the brand assurance effect of the blockchain, the channel competition intensification effect, and the blockchain adoption cost. The platform is capable of strategically designing the channel structure to encourage (while discouraging) blockchain participation by the manufacturer. Our analysis highlights the complementarity between blockchain participation and the channel structure. Furthermore, the effect of the consumer’s belief in the reselling channel, the commission fee in the agency channel, and the substitutability between channels are investigated in depth. The research provides valuable insights for online retail platforms and policymakers seeking to foster a sustainable and trustworthy e-commerce ecosystem.

Antimicrobial peptides represent a promising alternative to traditional drugs in relation to cost, toxicity and, primarily, the growing problem of drug resistance. Here we report on the activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2 of a previously described wide-spectrum synthetic decapeptide, Killer Peptide (KP). As determined by plaque reduction assays, treatment with KP at 100 μg/mL resulted in a reduction in the viral yield titer of 3.5 Logs for HSV-1 and 4.1 Logs for HSV-2. Further evaluation of KP antiviral activity focused on the early stages of virus replicative cycle, including the determination of the residual infectivity of viral suspensions treated with KP. A direct effect of the peptide on viral particles, impairing virus absorption and penetration, was shown. The toxicity profile proved to be extremely good with a selectivity index of 29.6 for HSV-1 and 156 for HSV-2. KP was also active against an acyclovir (ACV)-resistant HSV-1 strain, while HSV-1 subcultures in the presence of sub-inhibitory doses of KP did not lead to the emergence of resistant strains. Finally, the antiviral action of KP proved to be synergistic with that of ACV. Overall, these results demonstrate that KP could represent an interesting addition/alternative to acyclovir for antiviral treatment.

The properties of the annual, semiannual and triennial oscillations (AO, SAO and TO) in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the TIMED/SABER temperature data. The Lomb-Scargle and wavelet spectra were used to determine the dominant oscillations in the background temperature field. The AO is prominent at the mid-latitudes. The AO amplitudes present an asymmetry between the two Hemispheres, being larger in the mesosphere than in the stratosphere. The SAO dominates the tropical regions, with three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer. The TO is significant in the tropical region, with amplitude being maximum at 35, 45 and 85 km. Result shows that there may be potential interaction by the TO with SAO at 85km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and TO has also been discussed. The ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere. The real origin of the TO may lie in the wave-mean-flow interaction.

As the world population grows, fulfilling the need for biomaterials in the healthcare system becomes increasingly important. Biomaterials, which include metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites, play an important role in the creation of medical devices that improve people's lives. The European Society for Biomaterials described biomaterials as non-biological materials used in medical devices to interact with biological systems. This definition has developed to encompass materials that treat, assess, or replace tissues or bodily functions. Biocompatibility, as defined by the FDA, is a key feature of biomaterials, as is the requirement to fulfil design requirements such as mechanical performance, geometry, and electrical control. Over the last decade, advances in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering have boosted biomaterials' usage in medical applications dramatically. Despite its promise, scientists, engineers, and physicians continue to face significant challenges due to the complexity of biomaterials. Biomaterials have various benefits, including biodegradability, non-toxicity, and biocompatibility, making them extremely useful for replacing, sustaining, or improving biological activities in damaged tissues. They are used in a wide range of applications, including tissue engineering implants, human tissue healing and regeneration, medication delivery systems, and biosensors. This study gives insights into the fundamental characteristics, case studies, and ethical issues associated with the usage and use of biomaterials, further examining their potential and significance in healthcare and medicine.